One of China's top Internet search engines is responsible for causing the widespread of false information about medicines, Xinhua News Agency has recently reported.
 
The report said that Baidu.com, which uses the competitive-listing method for presenting search results, is displaying phony medicine websites on the first page of its search results after Internet users type a medical term such as "diabetes." The advertising method lists website links according to whichever companies pay the highest advertisement fees, not by order of relevance.

The search engine's actions have sparked public criticism. In response, Li Yanhong, Baidu's chief executive officer, issued a public apology, but maintained that the company was not responsible for ensuring the authenticity of the information presented in its search results.

A commentary in the Beijing Youth Daily says Baidu DOES bear such responsibility, because it serves as an advertisement publisher as long as it uses the competitive-listing method. It also points out that the search engine has a legal obligation to ensure the truthfulness and authenticity of the contents of advertisements, according to China's advertising law.
 
The article says that search engines should provide objective and true information to the public, because they are actually providing a public service. It also notes that the CEO's apology has not satisfied the public and calls for closer supervision of search engines by relevant state authorities.