Google Mulls China Exit

The attacks, which occurred in mid-December, targeted a number of companies across the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors and are also thought to have included G-mail accounts of a number of Chinese-based human rights activists.

Based on its investigations, which the company has made public, only two G-mail accounts were accessed, and activity was limited to basic account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the contents of e-mails.

Google said it has taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications, but also because the information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech....