Cultural Globalization and Resistance

In international markets Google might run into another obstacle: cultural resistance. Criticisms of Google and Yahoo! over censorship in the People's Republic of China were intense, and Google's leaders have since regretted their decision. From the beginning, Google has positioned itself as a totally international product, able to serve those who speak many different languages. Of course, saying they can't do it would be ridiculous, but how well can they really do this?

For each individual, language is part of his or her cultural capital, but American search engines don't treat languages equally. You hear all about the digital divide between those who are fully immersed in technology and those without access ...

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