Facebook Still Looking at China as it Files for IPO
Facebook’s IPO filing this past week notes that the company is still indeed looking at China as a possible market for its popular social network, despite being currently blocked. While there have been no shortage of rumblings about about Facebook’s possible jump into China, when we asked representatives back in October), they were mum on the topic.
But in the recent filing does explicitly mention China more than a few times, perhaps most notably in this remark:
We may enter new international markets where we have limited or no experience in marketing, selling, and deploying our products. For example, we continue to evaluate entering China. However, this market has substantial legal and regulatory complexities that have prevented our entry into China to date. If we fail to deploy or manage our operations in international markets successfully, our business may suffer.
The company adds that it is unsure if it can find any solution for “managing content and information” that can work for Facebook and the Chinese government. But it’s promising to hear that Zuckerberg and company are still actively looking for a way in.
例えば、私達は中国に参加することを評価し続ける。
しかし、この市場には現在まで私達の中国への参加を阻止した実質的に法的手段で規制する複雑さがある。
もし私達が国際市場において運用を成功へ展開させなかったり管理しなければ、私達のビジネスは苦しい状況にあるかもしれない。
それはフェースブックおよび中国の政府のために働くことができる「経営コンテンツと情報」のためのなにか解決方法も見つけることができるかは確実ではないと会社は付け加える。しかしそれは、ツッカーベルクと会社が入り口をまだ積極的に探していると聞くと約束をしている。。
☆Zuckerberg「ツッカーベルク」は、ドイツ語読みです。
さらにFacebookが伝えたことによると、Facebookや中国政府に対してうまく機能する「コンテンツや情報の管理」をしていく解決策が見つかるかどうかは分からないという。だがZuckerberg氏やFacebookはその方法を積極的になおも探していると聞いて期待がもてるかもしれない。
The filing also provides us with some important numbers about Facebook’s growth in Asia, which show a steady growth rate over the past two years, reaching 212 million by the end of 2011 (see interactive chart right). Of course, India and Indonesia, the second and third largest Facebook markets globally with about 43 million users each, represent the largest portions of that pie.
Speaking of India (and of ‘filing’ for that matter), Facebook India filed its compliance report in Delhi court as it, along with 21 other websites (including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft) had been ordered to remove offensive content. The BBC is reporting that both Facebook and Google India have removed some content in compliance with the order.
