Google panders to Chinese censors, invites Congressional meddling

We just don't have enough Congressional investigations (or calls for investigations), do we? However, Google's Faustian bargain invited this. From the Financial Times:

Google will be called to task in Washington next month following a controversial decision by the internet search engine to launch a China-based version of its website that will censor results to avoid angering the country’s Communist government.

The decision by Chris Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey who chairs a House subcommittee on Human Rights, to call for a February 16 hearing to examine the operating procedures of US internet companies in China, represents the first signs of what could become a serious backlash against Google and other internet companies in Washington that are perceived as capitulating to the Chinese government.

Mr Smith on Wednesday accused Google of “collaborating .. with persecutors” who imprison and torture Chinese citizens “in the service of truth”.

“It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is ‘don’t be evil’ would enable evil by cooperating with China’s censorship policies just to make a buck,” he said.

I praised Google for not giving in to the porn snoops at DOJ, but I revoke my prior praise in light of them jumping in bed with the ChiComs so as not to offend them.

Could be Google's new logo?