Google’s threat to pull out of China over allegations of hacking is threatening to damage the Beijing’s relationship with the White House. But some internet experts say the announcement may be a PR-coup for the internet giant.

Google said this morning it may withdraw from the fastest-growing economy in the world after uncovering “highly sophisticated”  cyber attacks on Chinese human rights activists. It was one of 20 international companies targeted by internet spies who apparently hacked into email accounts of activists all over the world.

No more filters
Today Google stopped filtering internet requests in China, and searches for sensitive subjects like the Dalai Lama revealed results that are normally blocked by Google.cn. The company says it will hold talks with Chinese authorities in coming weeks but it has already received the backing of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said in a statement:

“We look to the Chinese government for an explanation. The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a  modern society and economy.”

Surprise
Dutch Google-expert Henk van Ess told RNW the proposal – by no means a certainty – came as a “surprise” but was not only based on the allegations of hacking:

“I’m a little bit suspicious about this possible decision because the reason – hacking Gmail accounts – is, to put it bluntly, a little bit small to base a decision to leave China on. I think there are deeper-lying reasons why Google has plans to leave.

"The most important thing is that Google is in almost every country the number 1 – but not in China. They’re the number 2…. So in the short-term it would be wise to do this. Long-term it would be a disaster.”

Listen to an interview with UK-based Google expert Ciarán Norris

PR coup?
But although analysts say not operating in China may damage Google’s business interests, some people see the announcement as a PR-coup. Ciarán Norris is a search engine expert based in the UK and says it might actually put the company in a better bargaining position:

“A lot of people have suggested this is the year when Google’s PR will turn negative, when people will see it as the new Microsoft: too big, too unwieldy, too powerful. Actually, I think this is a massive PR-scoop for Google in the Western world and is actually going to put pressure on a lot of other Western companies who still are operating on the Chinese web… for them to do something similar. 

"In terms of Google’s negotiations on a variety of issues with the US and European authorities it can now pull this out of the bag and say: ‘we put morals before revenue, who else is willing to do that?’”