If Google Maps Explores China, Will It Mean More Freedom Or Less?

Google has applied for a regulatory license to operate a maps software service in China.

Since last year, all companies offering online maps and location-based services and search in China have needed both official approval and a local operating partner to do so. Now, Google isn't just chasing local market leader Baidu; it's trying to win approval from a government it's publicly accused of cyberattacks on Gmail. Whether Google Maps could bring extra freedom to China's locked-down Internet, or whether the Chinese government would co-opt Google for its own anti-democratic purposes, remains to be seen. Both tactically and strategically, maps are the key for continued growth. Maps are both a portal and a feature for all location-based services, from search to advertising. Maps are also the killer application for mobile devices. But mapping and location services are also where the most frightening implications for privacy and government interference lie. Baidu, for instance, doesn't offer satellite views of the country, opting instead for rendered drawings of the cities.