In the Internet age, it is inevitable that corporations and government agencies will have access to detailed information about people's lives.

Public trust in both government and corporations is low, and deservedly so.

There are a lot of people that think the Internet is going to bring information and democracy and pluralism in China just by existing.

Authoritarian systems evolve. Authoritarianism in the Internet Age is not your old Cold War authoritarianism.

The Chinese government sometimes shuts down the Internet and mobile services in specific areas where unrest occurs.

There is clearly a constituency that appreciates the message that Google is sending, that it finds the Chinese government's attitude to the Internet and censorship unacceptable.