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Microsoft Changes Blog Censoring Policies

Posted by Zonk on from the less-restrictions-more-talking dept.

Lam1969 writes "Microsoft attorney Brad Smith says that the company has a new policy to deal with a foreign government's request that alleges posted material violates its laws. The policy was apparently developed after Microsoft's own employees complained after a Chinese blogger hosted by Microsoft was censored. From the article 'Smith said Microsoft will only remove blogs when given proper legal notice, and even then, will only block access to that material within the country where it is deemed unlawful. The site will still be viewable from outside the country, he said.'"

5 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Ha! by lilmouse · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They've actually done as close to the Right Thing(tm) as they can (yeah, so I can be radical) - even tho it costs them more work (=money). I'd have to have to administer this one, tho ;-)

    Way to go MS!

    --LWM

  2. Oh yeah? Well...... by NiteShaed · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well this is obviously part of their evil plan to, er, um.....wait.....If Google was put in this position they'd do a way better, oh, no, not that either.....dammit, what should the official Slashdot we-hate-Microsoft position be here? Damned inconsiderate of them to do something not-obviously-evil and leave us high and dry like this.

    --
    Some bring out the best in others, some the worst. Some bring out far more.
  3. Excellent Step by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm happy to see Microsoft take this step. People need to be reminded that the Chinese citizens supposedly have their free speech protected by their constitution. If China wants to violate their own constitution, make sure that the blame falls sqaurely on their shoulders for all the world to see, rather than allowing companies to step in front and absorb the blame for them.

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  4. Say what you will about MS... by IAAP · · Score: 4, Insightful
    but the fact that their employees feel safe enough to criticise them says something.

    FTFB: But, the behavior of my company in this instance is not right.

    Either Scoble is very important to MS, or MS tolerates that from their employees. Beleive it or not, I've been at companies that would NOT have tolerated that kind of outspokeness from one of their employees. Or, Scoble, is now looking for a job.

  5. Re:Google/Russian Culture Version of Evil by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Please remember that one of the founders of Google is Russian, and in Russian culture censorship is just not evil. Censorship is what you do if you have the power to do it. Nothing more.
    As a Russian, I would like to officially state here that you, sir, are an idiot. At best what you describe could be called "Soviet culture", or, even more precisely, "totalitarian culture" - except there's no such thing. Censorship and tolalitarianism by the very nature of the latter always go hand in hand, be it in the USSR, China, North Korea, or Iraq.