Google prepares for secret visit to North Korea

When he lands in North Korea, even Google’s executive chairman will likely have to relinquish his smartphone, leaving him disconnected from the global information network he helped build.

Eric Schmidt is a staunch advocate of global internet access and the power of internet connectivity in lifting people out of poverty and political oppression.

This month, he plans to travel to the country with the world’s most restrictive internet policies, where locals need government permission to interact with foreigners — in person, by phone, or by email — and only a tiny portion of the elite class is connected to the internet.