Users cite "irreconcilable differences" as they protest at Google's offices worldwide

[LONDON] Thousands of Tibetans and Google users will dump the search engine in a mass "breakup" today, boycotting Google services and protesting at offices around the world. London protesters will demonstrate outside Google UK headquarters citing "irreconcilable differences" over the launch of Google.cn, which provides only Chinese government-approved information to internet users in China and Tibet.

"Google's claim not to be evil has been shattered since its launch of Google.cn. It has shown no remorse whatsoever and in colluding with the Chinese Government is endorsing censorship and repression; and all this at a time when the Chinese Government is legislating further media restrictions and physically intimidating newspaper offices, their staff and editors" (1) said Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign.

Thousands of people publicly dumped Google in the lead up to Valentine's Day and posted heart wrenching "breakup stories" onnoluv4google.com, a website sponsored by Students for a Free Tibet. Google users condemn the company for assisting the Chinese government in censoring and distorting information in China and Tibet, thereby depriving Tibetans, Uighurs, Chinese democracy advocates, and others of a critical tool for improving their political situation. To date, over 40,000 protest emails have been sent to Google executives.

The web search platform, Google.cn, launched on 25 January, is custom-built to the Chinese authorities' specifications to block access to and distort information on Tibet, human rights, and other topics "sensitive" to Beijing.

Google rivals Yahoo! and Microsoft are also under fire for censoring information, shutting down websites, and providing private data used by the Chinese authorities to prosecute journalists and democracy advocates. Tomorrow, 15 February, Google, Yahoo! Microsoft and Cisco are scheduled to testify before the US House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Relations about their Chinese operations.

Notes to Editor:
(1) In December 2005 editor Yang Bin was fired from the popular Beijing News for publishing articles critical of the Chinese Communist Party. Last week the BBC reported the death of Wu Xianghu, editor at the Taizhou Evening News, having been attacked by some 50 policemen after the paper accused them of charging illegal bike fees.