Google this week reported they had reports from users on the mainland of China that the search engine (rerouted through Hong Kong) is not always consistent and reliable, this depends from query and browser.
Users are getting errors on a regularly basis saying that the search engine is not available or that the connection was reset, if this happens users can’t access Google for a minute or longer. In the video below Google gives a demonstration of the phenomenon.
After receiving these reports from users Google went searching for problems in their own systems but after thoroughly doing research they didn’t find any problems. It turned out the interruptions where related to certain search queries, as you would guess: censorship, even though Google doesn´t use this word (on purpose I guess). That’s why Google decided to adapt the search engine and do something about these interruptions, warning users that there is a chance for an interruption.
When a user from the mainland of China types in query from which Google thinks (knows) that the query will cause an interruption Google will mention this below the search bar. The user then knows the risks and can continue with the search or can edit the query. To learn more users can click the link in the message to a help centre article. Screenshot from the homepage below.
