The online giants threat to pull out of China over censorship has drawn little reaction among the countrys 384 million Internet users. No flood of complaints to Chinas consumer rights agency, like the tens of thousands received in one day when the online fantasy game “World of Warcraft” was yanked last year because of a bureaucratic turf battle. Nor has there been the type of fury that saw 32,000 indignant gamers participate in an online chat session on the “World of Warcraft.”
“If Google leaves China, well lose one search engine. But we still have other choices,” said 28-year-old Deng Zhiluo, who works in marketing in Beijing. He said while Googles search results are more “international,” most of what he wants can be found on Chinese competitor Baidu. “For locals, Baidu is enough.”
The indifference of many Chinese points to a telling challenge for Google in the worlds most populous Internet market. The Chinese Internet world is youthful, with people under 30 making up 61.5 percent of the online population, and Googles cause isnt generating popular support among Chinas wired teens and 20-somethings.
“Its like in the U.S. saying, You cant use Yahoo search anymore,” said T.R. Harrington, CEO of Shanghai-based Darwin Marketing, which specializes in Chinas search engines. “What would people say? So what? Ill use Google more, and Ill try Bing and I might try a few other ones … I dont care.”
Google threatened three weeks ago to shut down its Chinese search engine, Google.cn, citing cyberattacks emanating from China plus attempts to snoop on dissidents.
Some Chinese admire the Mountain View, Calif.-based companys stand and its “dont be evil” image: A few dozen laid flowers outside Googles Beijing headquarters, and a few hundred joined a “Dont Go Google” Web site before it was shut down for unknown reasons.
The trouble Google is having generating support among Chinese underscores how successfully the communist government controls information. While authorities have set up an extensive network of Internet filters, blockades and monitoring - dubbed the “Great Firewall of China” - thats only part of the picture. Chinas permissible Internet universe is flooded with choice, with 3.2 million registered Web sites offering politically acceptable news coverage and loads of diversions from shopping to music downloads.
The generation of Chinese currently in their teens and 20s are known for their love of consumerism and disdain for politics. Most arent interested in scaling the “Great Firewall” by using proxy servers or other technical subterfuges, according to Kaiser Kuo, a Beijing-based technology analyst. Their favorite online activities: listening to music, chatting with friends and playing video games.
For many sites blocked by the government - including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - there are readily available, government-approved Chinese substitutes: Youku and Tudou for videos, Kaixinwang and Renren for social networking. Sina.com, the largest Internet portal, runs a Twitter-like microblogging site.
“Baidu does the same things as Google,” said 30-year-old IT salesman Zheng Hongyi. “And if it leaves there will be more companies coming up to fill this need.”
Beijing may be interested in seeking an accommodation. Google is an innovator whose presence could spur innovation by Chinese competitors. Blocking Google sites could encourage more Chinese to seek ways of getting around Internet controls. Thats what happened last year when two government agencies prohibited Chinese sites from offering “World of Warcraft” while they battled over the right to regulate the lucrative online game. Local stores started selling access cards that allowed Chinese fans to play the game on Taiwanese servers.
Googles message is resonating with some Chinese. Wen Yunchao, a popular blogger who writes about social issues and the Internet, said the publicity Google touched off has raised awareness about censorship and Internet access, especially in less worldly cities.
Outside big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, Googles brand recognition is low, said Tangos Chan of Internet and technology blog China Web Radar. When visiting his rural hometown in southeastern Fujian province a year or so ago, Chan found that some of his childhood friends “didnt really know what it was … they just use Baidu.”
While Google is generally seen in China as the go-to site for searching overseas Web sites, Baidu is known for being better at finding Web sites in Chinese, both in China and abroad. The Nasdaq-listed company also runs a popular message board, online encyclopedia and vast digital music library.
Baidu has about 60 percent of Chinas search engine market, compared with Googles 35 percent, according to Analysys International, a Beijing research firm.
“Baidu has more products that make it a destination for the average user in China,” said Harrington, the marketing specialist.
Also hurting Google is the Chinese governments control of the countrys news media. State-run media have glossed over the companys allegations about China-based hacking attacks and instead portrayed the affair as a business decision by Google. Many young Chinese believe that Google wants to leave because its being drubbed by Baidu.