Article strikes me as thoroughly believable. Google discriminates against more than what somebody has called 'conservative' news - discriminates against the World Socialist Web Site, for example.

@Alienew Everyone should discriminate against the WSW web site. ;-)

some google etc algorithms seem to have be a much greater danger to elecltoral process/democracy/freedom. there is evidence to support this, not just speculation from the gut.

I think that there is some degree of difference between controlling internet on state level for the whole state's propaganda uses (eg. China), or having service providers (eg FB or Google) within a country controlling their own product for whatever political agenda their managers or shareholders may have.

In case of China, while the state controls the internet and wants to increase that control, it should provide equal playing field for everyone within the country.

In case of Google, FB etc this is often discussed from USA's point of view, but as international companies for example EU is regularly trying to control them to implement local regulations - not different from China as a process, though obviously different in reasons and methods.

But I consider the state level control more dangerous for a reason.

By enforcing state defined characteristics of internet content, or cyber sovereignty as Chinese powers want to call it, every country or other population gets a unique digital face.

This is quite different from what many people look for (or used to look for) from internet and the increased connectivity it brings.

It should be bringing people from different cultures closer, increasing understanding, breaking barriers and reduce risks of real world hostilities.

But contrary to this, a different digital face of populations only serves to highlight the differences between them. It gives another reason for people to think how the others are different and wrong, and this will amount to increased confrontations.

@dazzer
Ok...I "un-hijacked".

@JanJal
If we applied this thread and the diverse opinions to, say religion - would it sound the same and would the comments also be similarly applicable, respective to each individual's respective bias?

@michael2015: "applied this thread and the diverse opinions to, say religion - would it sound the same"

Well, about my own comments I'd say that in context of religion each service provider with their own religious agenda would serve their own followers.

Similarly to halal or kosher cuisine, followers of certain religions would use their own providers, within the single population.

That again is opposite to state applying a fixed set of rules for whole population, like perhaps you can observe in countries like Iran.

Just like China and west have different approach to managing internet as medium for political discussion, some countries have different approach to handling religious activities.

In both internet (in context of political discussion) and religion, I would rather have states maintain open and rich mix of cultures with tolerance toward each other within the same country.

With religion, this would prevent the countries to appear with only one religious face, which has provenly fueled conflicts throughout human history.

Exactly the same risk that there is with controlling internet for political goals.

@janjal
Thanks for you thoughts and opinions - respect.

Taking the analogy out one more relationship removed, yet again. If we were now to apply this to say something less incendiary, such as domestic vehicles, ownership and operation - which is near and dear to us all in KM - to include the random, chaotic, and entropic e-bikes and scooters, how would this topic now read - assuming anyone would actually agree with such an insane analogy?

Western cultures are typically focused on individual rights. Asian and most especially Chinese culture is focused on social behavior. Although I believe the goals are the generally the same for most rational people - the approaches and perhaps perspectives are diametric.

Applying this to medicine - western medicine traditionally tended towards the topical or symptomatic, which can be spectacularly effective, if we don't include the short and long-term side effects. Chinese medicine generally (not always, but generally) tends toward the holistic or systemic - usually takes forever to take effect.

China engineers society - it's social engineering. Western cultures engineer individual rights. Both want to make the world a better place in theory - so the goals, I believe, are similar - but the perspectives, approaches and methodologies differ.

Just my opinion and it's probably insane as I doubt any sane rational person thinks like that.

@michael2015: "domestic vehicles, ownership and operation - which is near and dear to us all in KM - to include the random, chaotic, and entropic e-bikes and scooters, how would this topic now read"

My view is that state should reduce that chaos, while still allowing the vehicles to be owned and operated. But of course this is a limited perspective - of course state should have some role in containing the environmental impact, for example.

Methods to reduce the chaos could include improving traffic rules and enforcement, and building better roads and other infrastructure.

Basically improvements like Kunming in particular tried to implement during last year's efforts to gain the "civilized city" badge. Some of which seem to have stuck.

In my opinion this should be state's function, rather than restricting the ownership or use of said vahicles - again, environmental concerns aside.

I'll trust the state to regulate traffic but I will not trust the state to regulate ideas and information. Nor will I trust a private corporation to do so.

The question is, do you trust yourself enough to process information being put out sufficiently without having to worry whether its fake, conservative, biased etc...We all have brains and the truth is out there if you want it. All this talk about the uncertainties surrounding information is only paving the way for the 'Ministry of Information' to become a reality.