Baidu Gets Sued for Internet Censorship – In America

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Baidu, China’s Google replacement, is getting sued for censorship. And it’s all happening in the U.S., and not in its home country. Whaa?

Eight New York residents sued the company, saying the search engine is guilty of censorship, and that it’s in cahoots with the Chinese government. And although that may obviously the case, I’m not sure how a case lodged in the U.S. will get Baidu to change their policies or even cause the Chinese company to care.

The claim goes on to say that  Baidu violates the U.S. Constitution, and affects searches here. Let me guess: ex-Googlers with an axe to grind? The lawsuit seeks $16 million in damages, or $2 million for each plaintiff. Right, and I want $500,000 for not being able to tweet while I was in the Forbidden City.

What’s really baffling about the whole thing is that the U.S. government has no jurisdiction for what happens within Chinese borders. Maybe these New Yorkers were just really perturbed that they couldn’t Facebook during a Beijing vacation, given that part of the claim states “an Internet search engine is a public accommodation, just like a hotel or restaurant.”

What’s interesting is the plaintiffs don’t even want Baidu to change its policies, since it’s fruitless. It just sounds like they’re interested in the money. Why not sue Amsterdam for making prostitution legal? Oh America, land of the brave and home of the litigous.

(via Reuters)

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