The world’s largest Internet search company, tired of being required to censor itself, has finally decided to defy the world’s most populous and soon-to-be-most-powerful country. Google, after years of being tagged as a lackey of the Chinese government, took off its gloves and slapped the Communist government in the face.

The next few days will prove whether Google’s management acted bravely or foolishly. But one thing is certain, the Internet giant’s single moment of pluck will bring with it some serious and far-reaching consequences — both for the company’s businesses and its business partners in the world’s largest market and the Internet in China.

But knowing China, and how the country’s central government dealt with previous challenges to its authority and ironclad hold on almost all aspects of the country and the lives of its citizens, nobody would be surprised if the Chinese government toughs it out again this time.

Should Google follow through with its tough stance against Internet censorship in China, the American-based tech giant would have no choice but leave the Chinese market.

Microsoft’s IE and  Chinese Hackers

Microsoft has confirmed that a security weakness in its Internet Explorer Web browser was exploited by Chinese hackers who attacked a number of Western companies and broke into email accounts of many Chinese human rights activists. The incident, in turn, started it all for the current standoff between Google and China’s government.

Interesting. Seems like Microsoft somehow indirectly played a part in causing its rival Google’s problems in China.

Alibaba Dresses Yahoo Down

Yahoo Inc. promptly expressed its support for its rival Google’s decision to stop censoring its Internet results in China. For its part, Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, of which Yahoo is a major shareholder, promptly dubbed Yahoo’s statement as reckless.

Alibaba also said in its latest statement that it does not share Yahoo’s point of view.
One thing is clear — Alibaba is afraid of what China’s government might do in reaction to Google’s bravado.

Nobody believes that China would all of a sudden reverse itself and allow Internet traffic to bypass government-controlled gateways that obstruct access to online materials viewed as subversive or pornographic by Chinese authorities.

Apple Gags a Blog

It was not the first time for Apple. Previously and in several occasions, the coolest company had acted un-cool and threatened blogs with legal actions for publishing sensitive information about soon-to-be-released products.

The latest incident, however, saw Apple’s lawyers threatening tech blog Vallewag to stop its cash reward offer for “real” pictures of Apple’s rumored touchscreen tablet.

The bounty offer goes as high as $100,000 for an hour spent with the device.

The blog owners received a letter from the Mac lawyers telling them to stop the “illegal offer”, which encourages theft of Apple’s trade secretes.

Oh, well. Nobody can blame Steve Jobs’ company for protecting its efforts to keep the alleged tablet a “mystery.” That’s part of the marketing program.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.