Google trying out China-censor site

Google has confirmed a secretive project that’s been fueling an employee-led backlash for weeks at the company: an effort to build a version of its search engine that complies with China’s online censorship regime.

The project, code-named Dragonfly, is not only real but is already performing to the satisfaction of top Google executives. And it could pave the way for Google to re-enter China’s online search market after nearly a decade.

“If Google were to operate in China, what would it look like? What queries will we be able to serve?” chief executive Sundar Pichai said during an event hosted by Wired on Monday night. “It turns out we’ll be able to serve well over 99 percent of the queries.”

The announcement could prompt more questions from U.S. policymakers, some of whom have accused Google of being evasive about Project Dragonfly. Meanwhile, Google and its peers in the tech industry are facing intense scrutiny over its approach to user privacy and data, with some federal lawmakers proposing legislation that could impose new restrictions on tech companies’ handling of customer information.

Like many other firms, Google is eyeing China as a massive market opportunity. China, which has an estimated population of 1.4 billion, is already heavily dependent on Google’s Android operating system; in 2013, nine out of 10 smartphones in China were running Android.

But Google’s position in mobile could eventually erode as Chinese competitors have sought to develop alternatives to Android. Gaining broader access to Chinese audiences could give Google more opportunities to serve online advertising and sell mobile apps.

Despite China’s longstanding practice of blocking search queries for politically sensitive material — such as the Tiananmen Square democracy protests of 1989 — Google believes it could still do some good.