FIREWALL Cafe, a comparison between Internet images on Google vs. Baidu search engines

"What does internet censorship look like? 什么是防火墙咖啡馆？
Does the internet truly have all the answers?

FIREWALL Cafe is an interactive art project launched in 2016 by artist and Assistant Professor of Foundations, Joyce Yu-Jean Lee, to foster public dialogue about Internet freedom. Our goal is to investigate online censorship by comparing the disparities of Google searches in western nations versus Baidu searches in China.

The FIREWALL dual-search engine will automatically translate your query, and provide image results from both Google and Baidu. Compare the image results side by side, and vote on whether you believe the results are being censored, manipulated, or lost in translation! Check out what others have searched in our Archive too. Your searches shine a light on Google's search engine monopoly and China's suppression of free speech through Baidu, the primary Chinese search engine.

This new media artwork exists to advocate for freedom of speech for the netizens around the world. Celebrating our 10-year anniversary, we aim to increase public dialogue and research about Internet freedom. We believe that power, if left unchallenged, inevitably leads to abuse."

A bright, modern internet café setup featuring a table with two monitors displaying various images and websites. In the foreground, a woman with long hair sits on a chair, using her phone. The café has a blue carpeted floor, surrounded by green trees visible through large windows. There are several white and metallic chairs and tables arranged around the space, contributing to a casual, inviting atmosphere.