Google said that the renewal of its Internet Content Provider license would allow continuance of providing web search and local products to our users in China. It won permission last week to maintain its website in China and keep its toehold in the world’s most populous nation after bowing to pressure to eliminate a virtual detour around the country’s online censorship requirements. The website of the ministry, which regulates the Internet in China, listed Guxiang among some 200 companies whose licenses had been renewed until 2012. China’s decision to allow Google to continue operations has resolved a lengthy dispute that had threatened the company’s future in the country.
The renewal came after the China government had threatened Google to shut down its China operations by the end of July. China demanded that Google stopped its practice of automatically redirecting users in mainland China to its Hong Kong site – an arrangement that has allowed Google to avoid self-censoring its search engine in order to meet Beijing’s strict internet regulations. Subsequently Google launched a final attempt to find a compromise. Instead of automatically redirecting users in China to its Hong Kong site, it has created a “landing page” on Google.cn that offers visitors an optional link to the Hong Kong site. Google said it had resubmitted its ICP license renewal application based on this approach. Source: Press Reports
