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Web Censorship Spurs Debate
Techtree News Staff, Feb 02, 2006 1507 hrs ISTGoogle, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco Systems have come under attack from US congressmen for censoring Web information.
Internet giants, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco Systems have come under attack from US congressmen for complying with the Chinese government and censoring Web information. They are being accused of 'caving in' to Beijing's demands for the sake of profits.
Members of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, in a hearing said that the four US firms were putting profits before American principles of free speech.
Second only to the US, China is a rapidly growing market with more than 110 million Internet users. The hearing follows a series of cases wherein these four companies submitted to China's demand for rigid control over what its citizens read and did online, including software that detects and filters out words and phrases like "democracy," "Dalai Lama,'' "Tiananmen massacre'' and "China torture'' that are deemed 'sensitive'.
Google decided to block politically sensitive terms on its new Chinese search web site launched last month while Microsoft shut down an Internet journal that discussed "politically sensitive" issues. Yahoo provided Beijing with e-mail account information that led authorities to arrest a Chinese journalist and sentence him to 10 years in prison and Cisco, which makes computer routers, has been accused of providing China with the computer filtering hardware.
An invitation was extended to Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and Cisco Systems to join the hearing but all four companies failed to send representatives. They all sent written comments though.
Microsoft and Yahoo reportedly sent a joint statement to the caucus saying that they are exploring the voluntary approach and have also spoken to the Bush administration about raising the issue of Internet service directly with Beijing. They also said that their leverage and ability to influence government policies in various countries is severely limited.
Google said it was attempting to balance local conditions, with the interests of the users and efforts to expand access to information. The company maintains that is why it is disclosing to its Chinese users what information has been blocked.
Cisco said that the routers it sells in China have the same features that are currently used by libraries and schools to block content authorities deem improper, and have not been altered for the Chinese market.
Members of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, in a hearing said that the four US firms were putting profits before American principles of free speech.
Second only to the US, China is a rapidly growing market with more than 110 million Internet users. The hearing follows a series of cases wherein these four companies submitted to China's demand for rigid control over what its citizens read and did online, including software that detects and filters out words and phrases like "democracy," "Dalai Lama,'' "Tiananmen massacre'' and "China torture'' that are deemed 'sensitive'.
Google decided to block politically sensitive terms on its new Chinese search web site launched last month while Microsoft shut down an Internet journal that discussed "politically sensitive" issues. Yahoo provided Beijing with e-mail account information that led authorities to arrest a Chinese journalist and sentence him to 10 years in prison and Cisco, which makes computer routers, has been accused of providing China with the computer filtering hardware.
An invitation was extended to Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and Cisco Systems to join the hearing but all four companies failed to send representatives. They all sent written comments though.
Microsoft and Yahoo reportedly sent a joint statement to the caucus saying that they are exploring the voluntary approach and have also spoken to the Bush administration about raising the issue of Internet service directly with Beijing. They also said that their leverage and ability to influence government policies in various countries is severely limited.
Google said it was attempting to balance local conditions, with the interests of the users and efforts to expand access to information. The company maintains that is why it is disclosing to its Chinese users what information has been blocked.
Cisco said that the routers it sells in China have the same features that are currently used by libraries and schools to block content authorities deem improper, and have not been altered for the Chinese market.
Discussion Board
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chanti
,hyderabad, on Jun 30, 2011 07:20 PM
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Lis
,miami, on Mar 01, 2006 09:48 PM
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,chokur shichag, city of Prepanaa, on Apr 10, 2006 03:59 PM
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,Chokur Shichag, City of Priyapatna, on Apr 10, 2006 04:21 PM
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,milano, on Feb 08, 2006 08:08 PM
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