New Delhi Aug 1 (IANS) In response to reports that Google is developing a search engine that complies with strict Chinese censorship rules a China-based researcher at the Amnesty International on Wednesday said that such measures would amount to an attack on freedom of information and Internet.
Google is planning to launch a censored version of its search engine in China that will blacklist websites and search terms about human rights democracy religion and peaceful protest The Intercept reported.
"It will be a dark day for Internet freedom if Google has acquiesced to China s extreme censorship rules to gain market access " said Patrick Poon Chinese Researcher at the Amnesty International.
"It is impossible to see how such a move is compatible with Google s Do the right thing motto and we are calling on the company to change course " Poon added.
The report also said that the project has been underway since last year and accelerated following a December 2017 meeting between Google s CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official.
"For the world s biggest search engine to adopt such extreme measures would be a gross attack on freedom of information and Internet freedom. In putting profits before human rights Google would be setting a chilling precedent and handing the Chinese government a victory " Poon said.
Google s search service cannot currently be accessed by most Internet users in China because it is blocked by the country s so-called Great Firewall.

--IANS vc/qd/sed