Timeline: Google quits censoring in China

February 2010

8 February Chinese authorities shut down a hacker training website against the backdrop of intense global attention.

Discussions between Google and Chinese officials continue.

March 2010

8 March - China pledged to punish those who hacked Google. "If Google has had evidence that the attacks came from China, the Chinese government will welcome them to provide the information and will severely punish the offenders according to the law," said vice minister Miao Wei to state news agency Xinhua. "If Google decides to continue its business in China and abides by China's laws, it's welcome to stay."

11 March - Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said a decision on Google in China would be made soon.

Google received a letter from advertisers demanding clarity and compensation if Google leaves China.

22 March - Google disabled mainland China site google.cn and redirects traffic to censor-free Hong Kong-based google.com.hk. Check out the Google blog post for Google's comments.

23 March - The world reacts to Google's move.

About 100 people gathered at Google headquarters to show support for the decision. Chinese officials said Goggle was "totally wrong" and reports say the rest of the Chinese population and industry are somewhat unfazed.