Obama backs Google's fight for net freedom

White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said US President Barack Obama strongly supports Google which had threatened to shut down operations in China over the issue of censures that “limit free speech on the web”.

“I think our concern is with actions that threaten the universal rights of a free Internet,” Gibbs said. “He strongly supports that, and we support Google’s action in a decision to no longer censure searches that happen using the Google platform,” he told newsmen. He was, however, quick to add that the showdown is unlikely to have any impact on the bilateral relationship.

Citing assaults from hackers on its computer systems and China’s attempts to “limit free speech on the web”, Google on Tuesday said it would stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in China.
Meanwhile, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in East and Asia Pacific wing of the State Department, David Shear, met the Deputy Chinese Ambassador on Friday to raise the issue with him.

Serious issue

Gibbs said Obama had in accordance with his beliefs spoken strongly on the importance of freedom at a Town Hall in Shanghai during his visit to China.

“We have had a discussion here in Washington with officials from the (Chinese) Embassy, where we raised the issue,” Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said at a news briefing.

Terming it as a serious issue, he said: “The incident raises questions about both Internet freedom and the security of the internet in China”.
The US has asked the Chinese for an explanation, he added.