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Microsoft Censors Chinese Blogger

Posted by Zonk on from the getting-in-good-with-the-new-boss dept.

wooppp writes "Microsoft has admitted to removing the blog of a Chinese journalist from MSN Spaces. The censored site has been re-hosted elsewhere after a short down-time, but is no longer accessible to the folks in China." From the ZDNet article: "MSN is committed to ensuring that products and services comply with global and local laws, norms and industry practices. Most countries have laws and practices that require companies providing online services to make the Internet safe for local users. Occasionally, as in China, local laws and practices require consideration of unique elements..."

2 of 462 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Should MSN obey the law? by richlv · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    shareholders might, just might, have some ethical principles.
    few do, though.

    --
    Rich
  2. I'LL BITE! by Hosiah · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Thought I'd call your bluff and actually READ the links you posted, something I'm sure you never dreamed anybody would actually do.

    The Google case: "Google omits results from the government-banned sites if search requests are made through computers connecting to the Internet in China." Not the same thing. They're only dropping results from the searches in China, and if they didn't, they wouldn't be allowed to provide search to China at all. The websites containing the search terms did not disappear from the web - people in other countries can still see them.

    The Yahoo case: "Nonetheless, it is reportedly customary for e-mail service and Internet access providers to transmit information to the police about their clients when shown a court order." Again entirely different. I would hope that anyone at any time called on to testify would step forward and tell the truth and not lies. Yahoo was doing it's common civic duty, even though the purposes of the trial were unjust.

    The Cisco case: "The Cisco routers sold to China have the ability to block not only the main addresses for websites, but also specific sub-pages while leaving the rest of the site accessible." Yet another different matter. My own computer has the ABILITY to block websites based on content (such as gross pornography on my young children's account) - that's a tool. Big difference how I use it.

    You have in fact slinged mud on three innocent companies while defending the guilty one you invested in. I hope they paid you enough!