GoDaddy, one of the largest registrars for domain names, is following suit to Google’s stance on doing business in China, as its executives announced in response to a new government policy that, according to The Washington Post, requires extensive information about registrants. Starting last December, individuals and businesses that wished to register a .cn domain name were being asked to submit a photograph of themselves as well as a serial number identifying their business license in China.
As Tom Krazit points out at CNET News, “for the most part, U.S. companies have reiterated plans to stay in China and adhere to their laws following Google’s initial announcement in January and subsequent moves this week. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged companies to do their part in pressuring governments to open up the Internet to their citizens, but many companies feel the issue is much more properly dealt with at the national level, according to trade group representatives.”
That said, Stephen Northcutt, president of the SANS Technology Institute, remarked in the SANS NewsBites in this context “This could be huge. Will China run the Internet in the future? Probably. If you are 25 years old or younger, this might be a wise time to take a class in Mandarin Chinese. We can hold the line for while, but not forever.”
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