Microsoft Censoring Blogs on MSN China

jdfox writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft is censoring blogs on MSN China. The words 'freedom', 'democracy' and 'demonstration' are reportedly among the words being blocked. But the article also points out that Microsoft is not the first corporation to censor content when the Chinese government requests it." Slashdot covered this story a few days ago too.

Comments

Re:Dupe...with a twist.

[Scarblac]

Um...OK...if you know it's a dupe, why is it still being re-reported?

What on earth makes you believe the Slashdot editors think dupes are a bad thing?

Re:If they had any morality...

[space_dude_27]

Well exactly - they have the choice of either compling with the Chinese govt's wishes and censoring content that the regime doesn't like or giving up a potentially very lucrative market to their competitors. Would Microsoft do that? It appears not.

The thing that really worries me about all this is that if the Chinese govt is in a position to make demands like this on a company as a price for doing businss in China then in the future they may be in a position to make greater demands, ones that affect folks in other countries directly.

Re:l33t l00ph0le?

[ccharles]

Yes, but what of fr33d0m, d3m0cracy, and dem0nstrat1on?

IIRC this is where 13375p34k came from in the first place. It was invented to avoid content filters on BBSes.

Re:It is sad that American Companies have decided

[Ronald Dumsfeld]

[It is sad that American Companies have decided ...]... that the dollar is more important than freedom or principles.

If you think there's many examples of where American companies have thought freedom or principles were more important than money, you're being naive. Examples of what we might consider far worse can easily be found through history.

As it is, people in China will find ways round the censorship, but the Tiananmen Square protests pointed out to their government that they need to improve the standard of living. Enough so that their people will be as disinterested in the governance of their country as those in many western democracies.

That's why I'm disgusted that Microsoft is eagerly cooperating with their censorship.

Hypocrites

[thelexx]

I'd bet money that half of you people who see nothing wrong with MS capitulating to the totalitarian desires of China bashed the shit out of IBM for it's activities during WWII.

Re:It is sad that American Companies have decided

[stinerman]

Without sounding like a troll, I have the feeling that many people don't really care about rights here or abroad so long as the dividends are paid. If it comes down to meeting The Street estimates or taking a stand against human rights abuses, most investors will choose the latter -- some because they don't care, some because they don't believe it is their corporation's place to be involved in that.

I recall asking my father if he would buy $.10 hamburgers from a restaurant that used slave labor. Without blinking he said, "Of course". I guess so long as it is their jackboot on someone else's face, they won't have any problems with the system.

Recall that Microsoft, as a publicly traded corporation, has a fiduciary responsibility to make as much profit as possible without doing anything illegal. You can bet your bottom dollar that if a pro-active stance regarding China decreases profits, the directors will be replaced by those who will change that policy.

Re:If they had any morality...

[Master of Transhuman]

Much as I hate Microsoft, I expect IBM will do the same once it gets its foothold in China via the Lenovo deal - assuming the issue ever comes up with IBM at all, since I don't know that they are running general content Web sites there.

The problem for Microsoft is that MSN is SUPPOSED to be an open information portal. Thus, censoring it - especially such general terms as "freedom" - would seem to be a fundamental contradiction of the MSN "mission" (other than making money for Microsoft - which IIRC it isn't doing anyway - unless you treat it as a loss-leader PR move to sell Microsoft products - which it is).

But then, any SUPPOSEDLY open information portal which censors the word "fuck" or pictures of naked babes or anything else is by definition NOT an "open information portal".

As I say elsewhere, every Web site is run by and for the people who run it - and NO ONE ELSE. Get used to it. If you don't like it, start your own, like I'm going to do. And yes, mine will be run exactly the same way.