Google Blog

Sorry, it should have ready "yes, but it is only rewiring for you".

Google customizes its results based on the user and/or what it thinks that user wants to see based on their previous searches. This includes the user's previous searches, their location, the type of device, and other demographical information that Google may know about that user.

While the exact algorithm is a secret, you would most likely have to do millions of searches before it would greatly impact the results for other users.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Personalized_Search

[2] http://www.webpresencesolutions.net/7-reasons-google-search-results-vary-dramatically/

[3] https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-being-logged-into-Google-affect-my-search-results

[4] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/personalized-search-for-everyone.html

Could probably keep going with links.

These decisions always boil down to business, even if there's some philosophical disagreements as a part of the broader context. Google pushed back against the CCP, but ended up following the law to the minimum extent they had to. It wasn't until the Chinese military hacked Google and stole their IP that they threatened to leave the market. Regulators called their bluff as they started blocking Google services in China. When they pulled out, it was clear they weren't going to be able to operate a profitable business there.

> These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China.

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

You're making a lot of unfounded assertions about Google's terms.

Anyway this is a good read from Google's official blog.

From http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/meaning-of-open.html

"At Google we believe that open systems win. They lead to more innovation, value, and freedom of choice for consumers, and a vibrant, profitable, and competitive ecosystem for businesses. Many companies will claim roughly the same thing since they know that declaring themselves to be open is both good for their brand and completely without risk. After all, in our industry there is no clear definition of what open really means. It is a Rashomon-like term: highly subjective and vitally important."

It's hard to read that and then say Google is not being hypocritical here.

The only reason you'd take someone's word for something is when you can't derive it yourself, like if the tech isn't there yet.

Google introduced nofollow in 2005 to either let people help fill a gaping hole in Google's tech at the time or for the smart marketing move of making people fixate on their magic attribute. Both under the guise that spammers would care.[1]

It's been twelve years.

The SEO advice industry and Matt Cutts' blog these days are probably like when I try to ponder why my cat scoots its waterdish around the room before it drinks: attempting to find backsplanations for the idiosyncrasies of a neural network that nobody quite understands.

[1]: https://googleblog.blogspot.mx/2005/01/preventing-comment-spam.html

You can't create tools for censorship in China and support a free and open Internet. Those things are completely opposed to each other.

Pointing out the actions of other companies, the good things Google has done, or the fact that they censor content in most countries doesn't negate that fact. Those are just mediocre argumentative tactics to try and downplay a public relations disaster.

We're not even dealing with the same Google from 9 years ago. Here's some good reading for everyone about how Google went out of it's way to protect Chinese dissidents and refused to comply with the Chinese government. Now they're doing the opposite:

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

Here is what I am referring to:

>> So in the coming months, a Google Account will be all you’ll need to share content, communicate with contacts, create a YouTube channel and more, all across Google. YouTube will be one of the first products to make this change, and you can learn more on their blog. As always, your underlying Google Account won’t be searchable or followable, unlike public Google+ profiles. And for people who already created Google+ profiles but don’t plan to use Google+ itself, we’ll offer better options for managing and removing those public profiles.

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/everything-in-its-right-place.html

This was published on July 27, 2015