Good for Google

Google came under a good deal of criticism earlier this year when it agreed to censor itself in China in return for access to the Chinese market -- see here and here (where I suggested, somewhat controversially, that "Google's censored presence in China may yet be the thin end of a wedge that is essential to opening up China to alternatives to its brutal totalitarianism").

Regardless, Google is certainly on the side of all consumers here:

Google has started warning users if they are about to visit a webpage that could harm their computer.

The warning will pop up if users click on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs.

The initiative comes out of a larger project cataloguing programs that plague people with unwanted ads, spy on web habits or steal personal data.

Google is one of several companies trying to act as an "in-flight adviser" to ensure people stay safe online.

An extremely valuable service for interent users. Good for Google.