Bong Long Reader

Exploring Google’s controversial attempt to re-enter China with a censored search engine.

➤Dragonfly Was a Secret Search Engine Initiative
Google’s Dragonfly project aimed to create a censored search engine for the Chinese market, aligning with the country’s strict internet regulations.
➤Started in 2017 in Response to Market Pressure:
The project began around 2017 as a way for Google to re-enter China, after its search engine was pulled in 2010 over censorship concerns.
➤Search Results Were Designed to Be Filtered:
Dragonfly was reportedly engineered to block results related to human rights, democracy, religion, and other topics sensitive to the Chinese government.
➤User Activity Was to Be Tied to Phone Numbers:
Concerns arose over privacy and surveillance, as the app was said to link users’ search histories to their mobile phone numbers.
➤Internal Dissent Among Google Employees:
The project drew widespread protests from Google employees, with many calling it unethical and demanding more transparency.
➤Public Revelation Caused a Global Backlash:
In 2018, media reports exposed Dragonfly, sparking international criticism and debates about Google’s role in supporting censorship.
➤Privacy Advocates Condemned the Project:
Human rights organizations like Amnesty International labeled Dragonfly a “moral catastrophe” due to its compliance with authoritarian censorship.
➤Google Claimed the Project Was Exploratory:
After the backlash, Google executives stated that Dragonfly was merely an exploratory effort, and no product was launched.
➤Officially Halted in 2019:
Amid continued pressure from employees, policymakers, and the public, Google officially shut down the Dragonfly project in July 2019.
➤Dragonfly Raised Ethical Questions About Tech and Censorship:
The controversy sparked ongoing discussions about how tech companies balance profit, ethics, and freedom of information in authoritarian markets.