In Google’s eyes, it seems to be totally unacceptable that South Korean users, whose democratically elected government has passed a law requiring that larger websites use verifiable real user names, should comply with their own law.

As a result, Google’s efforts to implement this requirement are intentionally half-hearted and allow South Korean citizens to circumvent the measure simply by lying about their country. Worse, Google even advises them to do so!

In this, Google is guilty of quite astonishing arrogance. Apparently it is Google’s right to decide whether or not something is acceptable in South Korea, not the democratically elected government of South Korea. Google is, let us remember, run by a bunch of unelected Americans, whereas the South Korean government was voted in by its people and therefore has a democratic mandate.

Google’s undemocratic, pompous, self-righteous behaviour is disgusting.