Case Study 1: Google in China

Question2. Do you think that Google should have entered China and engage in self-
censorship, given the company's long-standing mantra, "Don't be evil"? Is it better to
engage in self-censorship than have the government censor for you?

As it is a business, its mission is to organize worldwide information and make it

universally accessible and useful, so we believed Google made a justifiable choice upon entering
the Chinese market regardless of the stringent restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. It
has been a common challenge for international companies to operate in a repressive country. If
they want to enter their market, they have to follow the local laws, which may impair the
freedom of speech (Waddell, 2016). Some viewed that Google was inconsistent with its mantra
that, "Don’t be evil". But in some way, they still uphold its policy by providing all the
information it can, then ceasing all its services that are favorable to the internet users. Even with
the censored information, they still broaden the possibilities and contribute to greater openness.

In the business aspect, Google has become the world's most popular search engine, with a
92% share of the global search market (Johnston, 2021). While China represents a massive
potential market for foreign manufactured goods and services (Hedley, n.d.), which is beneficial
not only for the users but also to the business itself. Entering the Chinese market is a great
opportunity because of the amount of profit the company may earn in such a way it can increase
the shareholder's value. The Chinese government has complex and tight regulations upon
publicizing information that may threaten the peace and stability of the country. Thus, foreign
companies like Google have to abide by the regulations for them to continue their operation in
the said country. The Company does not have an evil intention because they are just required to
comply with the restrictions.

Self-censorship somehow helps the company inform the users that they have removed
some sensitive information, which implies transparency to the general public. Thus, we believed
that it is much better than government- censorship. Though, neither of the choices can ensure a
risk-free operation because the government body or the human activists can manipulate the
website and data of Google.