Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
The Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Translate app has been discontinued in China, marking the end of one of the few products the internet giant still offers in the country with the second-largest economy in the world. Despite that, Google stock surged today.
A static picture of a generic Google search bar is now shown to visitors on the mainland Chinese version of Google’s website, along with a link to the Hong Kong-based domain of the corporation, which is restricted to users on the mainland. Some Chinese applications that depended on Google for translation have been interrupted due to the sudden ban, which adds even more bricks to China’s Great Firewall.
Context: Google stock made its first foray into the Chinese market in 2006 with a version of its search engine that could bypass the Chinese government’s restrictions. In 2010, the engine was taken down due to state-sponsored hacking and government-ordered bans in response to YouTube videos showing Chinese security forces battling with Tibetans.
In 2018, Google stock toyed with relaunching Google Search in China as part of a project code-named “Dragonfly,” which would have censored results and location data. However, the plan was ultimately scrapped due to an uproar within the company and resistance from Chinese politicians.
Google stock issued a statement that said, “We are suspending Google Translate in mainland China owing to low use.” However, current numbers may suggest that this is not the case. The website analytics platform Similarweb reports that the page had 53.5 million visits from desktop and mobile visitors in August, representing a growth rate of 30% over the two preceding months.
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Google stock rose when the company announced that it would stop providing its Translate service to China.
Featured Image – Unsplash © pawel_czerwinski
Author Shariq Khan 
