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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..."

4 of 462 comments (clear)

  1. More information by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 3, Informative


    A lot more information on this story can be found at Rebecca MacKinnon's RConversation.

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    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

  2. Re:Who's censoring? by cduffy · · Score: 4, Informative

    MS isn't cenoring the reporter - CHINA IS.

    Incorrect. If you RTFM, it is MSN's employees, rather than China's upstream infrastructure, removing content.

  3. What if? Why not search it? by Uukrul · · Score: 5, Informative
    If it were Google or Apple, it would be "the cost of doing business in China". Since it is Microsoft it is "suppression of independant, free thought."
    Censorship at Google on Slashdot.

    1st 4+ post: That's just business..(Score:5, Insightful)
    2nd 4+ post: No, it isn't (Score:5, Insightful)

    So you are worng, there was a discussion similar to this one.
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    My city: Barcelona.
  4. Re:Should MSN obey the law? by deacon · · Score: 4, Informative
    I think a lot of you Americans need to revise your prejudices. As far as I can see your attitudes towards other countries, and in this particular case China, is caused by a combination of ignorance and simple jealousy - China is doing better and better, while America is going the opposite way, so they are simply 'evil communists' who persecute pious religious practitioners like Falun Gong

    Great Leader, is that you?

    Let's look at facts, shall we, not "prejudices"

    We begin:

    Here are some happy people being run over by tanks.

    http://images.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&sa fe=off&q=tiananmen+square&spell=1

    Here are reports of hundreds of other happy people being tortured to death.

    http://www.google.com/search?as_q=falun+gong+tortu re&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq= &as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occ t=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=off

    Here are images of torture victims, many of them old women. The squeamish may want to skip these.

    http://images.google.com/images?&num=100&hl=en&btn G=Google+Search&lr=&as_ft=i&as_qdr=all&as_dt=i&as_ rights=&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi&q=falun%20gong%20tort ure

    Isolated incidents from long ago? Oh no, kamerad. Just last month Chinese police shot 30 or 40 villagers who were protesting their poor living conditions.

    http://www.google.com/search?as_q=chinese+villager s+shot&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as _oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as _occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=o ff

    I am glad you posted something so easy to refute with such overweening disdain for the victims. It's clear why you are such a supporter of the current regime.

    Finally, your claim that "you Americans" are jealous of china is a purile red herring meant to stifle discussion.

    Hint for you: The only way you can stifle discussion now is if you get Microsoft to do it for you. And the rest of the world is watching.