Government no talking partner in hacking issue - Jeremy Goldkorn

Jeremy Goldkorn

Why would you want to talk to the Chinese government on Google's hacking issues, when there is no proven link - to put it mildly - between the government and the hacking, wonders internet analyst Jeremy Goldkorn in VOA.

Jeremy Goldkorn on the potential hackers:

"The hackers who are alleged to have committed this latest attack on Google users, on gmail users, may or may not be government employees. I would be very surprised if the people who  did the hack actually worked for the government. It doesn't mean that their not in touch with the  government, it doesn't mean that their somehow not associated with the government. But they may very  well be citizens either acting on their own or in some kind of loose collaboration with one or  another government agency. It makes it very difficult to understand who they are [and] pin them  down. And it makes it very difficult to talk to the Chinese government about what's going on."

And on the question whether Google has a future in China:

"Google has had a very difficult time adapting to the local conditions in the Chinese market. And a big part of that is because the government regulates or interferes with Internet companies to very great degree in China. SoInternet companies are responsible for self-censoring their content. And if you're not willing to self-censor, you will not get a license to operate in China. Google eventually came to the point where they announced they weren't willing to carry on doing that. It is a very tough market by itself. It's not an easy market  to operate in as a business. In addition to the problems of creating a successful Internet business here in a very competitive landscape, you also have the problem of a very great amount of government scrutiny and regulation."

More, including the viewpoint of Hillary Clinton, in VOA.

Jeremy Goldkorn in a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. When you need him at your meeting or conference, do get in touch.

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