Google embroiled in web security dispute with China over trust breach

Google has become embroiled in a dispute over web security after a Chinese internet regulator labelled as “unacceptable and unintelligible” a decision by the US company to stop trusting its authority to certify that websites are safe.

In practice, Google’s rejection means it will henceforth warn users against accessing some websites in China’s .cn domain, due to uncertain security. Google said that the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) had allowed a subcontractor to issue unauthorised digital certificates, which are used by internet browsers to verify that a website is legitimate.