Google delays mobile phone launch in China as Beijing says search engine must obey censorship laws
Google has delayed the launch of its new mobile phone in China amid a diplomatic row with Beijing over censorship laws.
The decision is a result of Google’s threat to pull out of China if restrictions are not lifted, said a person briefed on the move.
The company has decided it would ‘not be a good experience’ for consumers to receive a phone right now with its applications, said the person, who spoke anonymously.
Marsha Wang, a spokeswoman for Google Inc., however, only said today’s planned ceremony with local carrier China Unicom Ltd. was postponed.
She did not give a reason or say when the launch might be rescheduled.
China has the world’s most-populous mobile phone market, with more than 700 million accounts and increasingly prosperous customers who readily pay for the latest technology and services.
The decision came today as Beijing demanded that Google obey China’s laws and traditions.
The statement - the first time officials have acknowledged the row with Google - is an indication officials won’t budge after the search giant threatened to pull out of the country if internet restrictions aren’t relaxed.
www.webserveruk.co.uk
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