Tomorrow may be Valentines Day for some people, but for others it's Boycott Google Day.
Because February 14 is also the day Students for a Free Tibet have chosen to focus world attention on Google's passionate love affair with China, home of the non-free.
"Kissing up to the Chinese government, Google has custom-built a search engine for China and Tibet that blocks access to information sensitive to the Chinese authorities including 'human rights,' 'democracy,' and 'freedom,' says the No Luv 4 Google site,"
To further underscore Google's decision to support China in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar, Dynamic Internet Technology ceo Bill Xia recently revealed China is using blacklists as part of its dedicated China censorship program.
"We need to tell Google - and other corporations operating in China, Tibet and other Chinese-occupied territories - that there are higher principles than the profit motive and desire to appease the Chinese government," says Boycott Google.
Are you wondering: why pick on Google?" – asks the boycott page, going on, "What about Yahoo!, Microsoft and other technology companies cozying up to the Chinese authorities? We're outraged at their actions too - particularly the news that Yahoo! gave the Chinese government information on another Chinese dissident who was sentenced to 8 years in prison for the 'crime' of supporting democracy.
Take action and tell them you have NO LUV for them either, suggests No Luv 4 Google.
Google, riding high on its enormous wealth, is forgetting how it got to be so rich and that many of its investors are ordinary people who bought shares because they truly believed in Google the Good.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if there was an investors' revolt.
For now, go here for a list of the people who've signed up so far, here to sign up yourself and here for helpful materials if you're planning to organize a No Luv 4 Google protest or event in your community.
If you're Chinese and you're looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent website blocking outside of China.
Download it here and feel free to copy the zip and host it yourself so others can download it.
