Saturday
24Jun2006
Google Egypt
So it's official, Google has arrived in Egypt. I guess that explains why whenever I type www.google.com, I get automatically diverted to www.google.com.eg with the default search language switched to Arabic.
Anyhow, you are still given the option of clicking on a link that will take you to google.com proper. I tried google-ing anti-Mubarak websites on the Egyptian google, and they still came out in the search results with no filter. So I guess we didn't get the same bad deal the poor Chinese got.
Anyhow, you are still given the option of clicking on a link that will take you to google.com proper. I tried google-ing anti-Mubarak websites on the Egyptian google, and they still came out in the search results with no filter. So I guess we didn't get the same bad deal the poor Chinese got.
Tags: 
Egypt
Egypt
Reader Comments (3)
Here's a bit of a hint...a few friends at google's rnd lab at Zurich have said that Google ME.. Google Arabia or however you will, are not going to censor their search results.. ie. because as everyone knows by now... various individual ISPs in the region do their own censoring with localized access control lists and the like.
So yes you're right, the ME region will be getting a better deal than our friends in Bejing ;)
BTW, nice blog, are you on egyblogs ?
Just wait, it's a matter of time. The last time I was in egypt I noticed a number of controversial websites were significantly different there than in the U.S. Self-censorship perhaps, but nonetheless a reaction to fear of net control by the government. Remember that telecom is still state owned in Egypt, providing a convenient path to government imposed restrictions.
American Arabian...
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page...and have to say thanks. nice read....