Google (GOOG.NASDAQ) has applied for a license to provide online mapping services in China, a move that may offer insight into the government’s attitude towards the internet firm after it stopped censoring Chinese web searches. Under new regulations issued last month, companies that offer online map and location services, searches or downloading must receive approval to continue operations, the Wall Street Journal reported. This is to allow the authorities to check, among other things, that maps are labeled in accordance with Chinese rules and that sensitive information is removed. Google, which allows users to post notes on online maps, said only that “we comply with local laws and regulations wherever we operate." The State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping estimates there are now 40,000 online map providers in China, of which Google is the most popular. Revenue from these services is expected to reach US$72 million this year, up from US$8.7 million in 2005, according to Analysys International.
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