This is a bothersome story. Not so much that China is censoring. A duck has to fly, fish got to swim, and oppressive dictatorships have to oppress. It's that Microsoft is actively helping the Chinese government in this censorship:
Microsoft Corp.'s new MSN China Internet venture is censoring words such as freedom, democracy and human rights on its free online journals, Microsoft said yesterday, putting itself in the middle of a major Web controversy.
The company said that its MSN Spaces service in China, which allows users to set up their own Web blogs, is acting in accordance with local laws. "MSN abides by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it operates," said Brooke Richardson, MSN lead product manager.
The move comes as the Chinese government is attempting to tighten control over the Internet. Last week, a media watchdog group said China would close unregistered China-based Web sites and blogs. About three-quarters of domestic Web sites had complied with the registration orders, Reporters without Borders said, citing Chinese figures.
What good does the internet do to fight oppression if the fricken internet providers are lining up to help the oppressive regime. So China is literally banning the "democracy." I eagerly await action from the Bush administration. In the meantime lets get this blog banned in China!
Free Tibet!
Independence for Taiwan!
Democracy in China!
Are we banned yet?
1 comment:
This is no surprise. One illegal monopoly supporting another. The internet is slowly but surely going the way of other media - governmental and corporate control. I don't know if there is any way to stop it. Maybe we just have to invent something new in order to have another 10 years or so of free communication.
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