Microsoft, Yahoo to follow Google's lead in China?

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    Date: 
    12 January 2010

    Now that Google has said it will stop censoring search results on its Chinese Web site, a key question is whether rivals Yahoo and Microsoft will do the same.

    In the wake of a major cyberattack last month, Google said Tuesday that it will no longer censor its Google.cn site and may pull out of China entirely.

    "We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all," Google said in a blog posting. "We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China."

    If Google were to pull out, it could offer an opportunity for Yahoo and Microsoft to gain share in a huge market if they are willing to continue censoring their sites.