Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOGL) subsidiary Google is said to have shut down the development of a censored search engine for China, according to a report by The Intercept. The project had received backlash from the company’s employees who said it went against Google’s ethos.
The Chinese search engine project, termed Dragonfly, was reportedly one of top priority for the management team as China is a lucrative market. China has strict rules on censorship and to meet these requirements, the employees working on Dragonfly were reportedly developing blacklists, which would aid in blocking information on sensitive issues like democracy and human rights.
However, after Google’s privacy team came to know about this, the project was reported to have undergone some changes which in turn affected its progress. A large number of engineers were moved from the Dragonfly project to other projects related to Indonesia, Brazil and India.
Google had planned to launch Dragonfly in early 2019 but the report said the protests and other issues appear to have forced the company to shelve it at least for the short term. Last week, when Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai was questioned by the Congress on the censored Chinese search engine, he said the company did not have plans to launch a search engine in China right now but did not rule out a future possibility.
Earlier this year, Google employees had opposed the company’s collaboration with the Pentagon on a project involving artificial intelligence capabilities and military drones. Google subsequently said it would not renew the contract after existing obligations were met.
We’re on Flipboard! Follow us to receive the latest stock market, earnings and financial news at your fingertips.
Most Popular
BIIB Earnings: Biogen Q1 2024 adj. earnings rise despite lower revenues
Biotechnology firm Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) Wednesday reported an increase in adjusted profit for the first quarter of 2024, despite a decline in revenues. Total revenue declined 7% year-over-year to
Hasbro (HAS) Q1 2024 Earnings: Key financials and quarterly highlights
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) reported first quarter 2024 earnings results today. Revenues decreased 24% year-over-year to $757.3 million. Net earnings attributable to Hasbro, Inc. were $58.2 million, or $0.42 per
BA Earnings: Highlights of Boeing’s Q1 2024 financial results
The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) on Wednesday announced financial results for the first quarter of 2024, reporting a narrower net loss, on an adjusted basis. Revenues dropped 8%. Core loss,
Comments