Will Google stand up to France and Italy, too?

Google's stand against Chinese censorship and surveillance – triggered by suspicions that China had been trying to hack activists' ­accounts – will be rightly lauded by defenders of human rights. But when it comes to upholding Google's vow not to "do evil" by its ­users, China is by no means the company's only headache. Before those of us in western democracies get too high on our horses about Google and China, we should remember that the Chinese are not the only ones putting pressure on Google in ways that are arguably harmful to freedom of expression, even when intentions are honorable. A growing number of governments – many democratically elected – share an attitude that internet companies should be expected to act as "net nannies" for their citizens.