Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony Begins Shipping PCs With Green Dam In China

Posted by kdawson on from the thought-the-good-color-was-red dept.

Dotnaught writes "Sony is now shipping computers in China with Green Dam installed, in advance of the Chinese government's July 1 deadline. But the company is disclaiming responsibility for any damage caused by the Web filtering software. Documents posted by Hong Kong-based media studies professor Rebecca MacKinnon also suggest that the Chinese government is considering similar filtering requirements for mobile phones."

90 comments

  1. China following Iran's lead by AnonGCB · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Or rather freaking out because they see what is happening in Iran and trying to set up a way to lock down any possible forms of dissent (even more than they already have).

    --
    http://CryoLANparty.com/ A lan I'm staff on!
    1. Re:China following Iran's lead by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Then it would only be logical to demand that Sony be excluded from government contracts akin to Siemens and Nokia. Or are we scared to piss off the people that basically already own a good portion of the US trade market?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:China following Iran's lead by m.ducharme · · Score: 1

      Yes, and yes.

      --
      Rule of Slashdot #0: You and people like you are not representative of the larger population. - A.C.
    3. Re:China following Iran's lead by TropicalCoder · · Score: 1

      Why is Sony in such a hurry?

      China has announced they are delaying their Internet filter. "Critics are likely to see the announcement, giving no fresh date for a launch, as a way for the government to escape quickly from the domestic and international controversy..."

    4. Re:China following Iran's lead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Don't you remember: Sony was the one that had a rootkit install on your computer when you play their CD's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection]. They are just looking for a free lunch (So that they can look all nice and what not and sell their expensive crap). Point ~ Don't buy from soni, its expensive...

    5. Re:China following Iran's lead by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Let's see... huge market with a government that has a lot of say who does and who does not sell anything...

      I could see why a company would want to brownnose.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:China following Iran's lead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is a moot point now. The Chinese government has placed a hold on the software requirement for now, but still haven't ruled it out entirely.

  2. I wonder whether the US government by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder whether the US government will call for a bar on use of Sony within government.

    1. Re:I wonder whether the US government by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I wonder whether the US government will call for a bar on use of Sony within government.

      I called for that bar after the CD Rootkit... And then again after the Secure USB rootkit. Now this. I am almost afraid to see how they top it.

    2. Re:I wonder whether the US government by theaceoffire · · Score: 1

      Because we know that no other company is going to bend to China's will to make a profit.

      /points to the army of companies bent over with drawers down.

      --
      I steal signatures. This one used to be yours.
    3. Re:I wonder whether the US government by Bakkster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd say there's a crucial difference. In the case of Iran, the technology is an export of oppressive technologies to an oppressive regime. In China's case, Green Dam is an internal program (supposedly) developed by Chinese coders. Regardless of how oppressive the program is (very oppressive), Sony is not developing it.

      This doesn't make it alright or a good thing, but China would install this stuff on PCs either way. In the case of Iran, without foreign technology they would not have been able to filter internet transmissions.

      --
      Write your representatives! Repeal the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics!
    4. Re:I wonder whether the US government by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Informative

      At *most* Congress will hold some show hearings, make a big production out of berating the Sony CEO briefly (during which he will offer the traditional "We're just following the law" defense), let a few Senators fire off some brief criticism of Sony, then completely forget about the whole thing and go on with business as usual. Sony will be briefly embarrassed, then continue on without a single change or reform.

      Don't believe it? Just ask Jerry Yang if *HE* changed anything (or faced any real punishment) after getting this treatment.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    5. Re:I wonder whether the US government by MrNaz · · Score: 1

      Personally I don't think it matters who developed it. It's just another item of crapware that ships on PCs. It comes off as soon as one reinstalls or changes the OS.

      --
      I hate printers.
    6. Re:I wonder whether the US government by gclef · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm quite curious if Sony has any liability here. The outcry has been pretty public, so it will be hard for Sony to say they were unaware of the claims of ownership by third parties. Does that make Sony's distribution of the software (presumably without permission of the people who had their code used in Green Dam) willful violation of copyright?

    7. Re:I wonder whether the US government by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I called for that bar after the CD Rootkit... And then again after the Secure USB rootkit. Now this. I am almost afraid to see how they top it.

      As a victim of XCP, I can't figure out two things:

      1. Why anyone would buy a product from a company that would deliberately include malware with their wares
      2. Why I get modded "flamebait" every time I bring up XCP?

      The "flamebait" mod doesn't annoy me, my karma is solid. It just puzzles me.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    8. Re:I wonder whether the US government by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      The "flamebait" mod doesn't annoy me, my karma is solid. It just puzzles me.

      That is the nice thing about a long history of good karma. The occasional Bizarre moderations are just amusing. :)

  3. Rootkits by RMH101 · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least Sony have lots of experience in shipping products with rootkits in them already.

  4. China by matt328 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Why do people still live there again? Seriously though, I wonder what the morale of people who live there is like? Do they all hate it but have nowhere else to go, or are they just culturally complacent with their rights being trampled on?

    --
    Check out the cave on the east side of lake Hylia. Strange and wonderful things live in it.
    1. Re:China by emocomputerjock · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I can't claim credit for it as someone else on /. already said it, but who is to say that our western notions of freedom and democracy are right for the rest of the world?

    2. Re:China by Ritz_Just_Ritz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually, they really don't have anywhere to go. Ask a Chinese citizen how difficult (nearly impossible) for anyone but the uber rich to get a visa to travel to a "first world" country.

      Oh, and there is indeed a high degree of complacency about government control/meddling in their everyday lives. Mei ban fa.

    3. Re:China by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why do people still live there again?

      1) What country do you live in?
      2) would you be willing and able to take 1.3 billion refugees?

    4. Re:China by sakdoctor · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      The blueprint of any society, good parts and bad, is in the minds of the people living in it.

    5. Re:China by sakdoctor · · Score: 3, Funny

      Our notions of freedom and democracy are right for the rest of the world, because they are best for the individual people of this world.
      Whether they know it or not.

      Take North Korea for example. You probably know that the general population believe, that the outside world is a nightmare of poverty, war and starvation.
      Those who have managed to escape in desperation over the border into China, see the piles of rice sacks and fruit on the street and are like, "WTF! We've been F'ing lied to all our lives!"

    6. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1) UK
      2) Whether we are able is debatable but I bet our government would be willing.

    7. Re:China by m.ducharme · · Score: 3, Insightful

      While I'm inclined to agree with you, there is an inherent danger in your position. You can't "force" freedom and democracy on a people, it doesn't work well. And if they don't know that freedom and democracy are best for them, interfering in their country's internal politics amounts to forcing freedom on them. Also, though your North Korea example is probably fairly accurate, I would say that the Chinese probably have a more sophisticated view of their government and what it does (and what they're willing to tolerate). Neither country is anything like Iran, where the people are very ready to overthrow their government, so much so that it's not a matter of if, but when they'll finally do it.

      The West, and the US in particular, have difficulty seeing the distinctions between these kinds of nations, and tragedy has too often been the result of this short-sightedness. Take for example Afghanistan, where the US has overthrown the Taliban, and subsequently the Warlords have taken over and started most of the same repressive crap. Or Iraq immediately after the first Gulf war, when Iraqis, thinking they would have aid from the US, rose up against Saddam Hussein and were slaughtered by the thousands because the US stayed out of it. When it comes to achieving freedom for your people, timing is everything.

      --
      Rule of Slashdot #0: You and people like you are not representative of the larger population. - A.C.
    8. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [citation needed]

    9. Re:China by bconway · · Score: 1

      Why do people still live there again? Seriously though, I wonder what the morale of people who live there is like? Do they all hate it but have nowhere else to go, or are they just culturally complacent with their rights being trampled on?

      We've been wondering the same thing about Americans for the past decade or so (DMCA, Patriot Act, etc). Are you planning your migration yet?

      --
      Interested in open source engine management for your Subaru?
    10. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The University I used to attend in Canada has a lot of Chinease exchange students. Every year there are a bunch that can't come back to complete their studies because China has blocked them from leaving the country.

      It's my understanding that you've got to have strong ties to family and people in China and show no signs of abandoning the homeland to be allowed to go internationally even for school. If you're allowed to leave, you're near the top of the society AND most/all of your family is back there, so life's not so bad and sticking it out here would be abandoning loved ones.

      If you do defect, you're suddenly in the middle or bottom of a society with different traditions, a different language, and no relatives or family.

      I can see why most people don't do it.

    11. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Our notions of freedom and democracy are right for the rest of the world, because they are best for the individual people of this world.
      Whether they know it or not.

      Let me guess, American?

    12. Re:China by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oh, and there is indeed a high degree of complacency about government control/meddling in their everyday lives. Mei ban fa.

      Sounds like the citizens of China are like the citizens in most other places. Remember only a small handful of people made much noise about the warrant-less wire-tapping, for example.

      --
      Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    13. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We need a new term for idiot Americans that hate their own country and constantly compare its slight foibles to the horrible wrongs they hear about in much more repressive countries. They're like the emo goth idiots of the world, "Woe is me, my country sucks, I wish I wasn't born here! You think you've got it bad in [China, Iran, Soviet Russia]? They once tried to tap the phones of international criminals here using a semi-secret rotating panel of congressionally-approved federal judges without announcing it on CNN first!"

    14. Re:China by castironpigeon · · Score: 1

      Overall the Chinese are more concerned with social order than personal freedom. Besides that, how many people would be willing to throw away everything they've worked for and start over again in another country just because of a bit of online censorship? A few, yes, but probably not many. If this happened in America you'd probably hear a bit of bitching and moaning, but I doubt you'd see more than 100,000 people emigrate because of it. And besides, as another poster noted, where would you go? Most countries limit your personal freedoms in some way and the ones that don't are very likely to get you killed.

      --
      mmmm...forbidden donut
    15. Re:China by sakdoctor · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Though I didn't say impose it upon people by force.

      In short I'm just saying that "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried."

    16. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They seem to appreciate the organization of the central govt and think their state/local govt is incompetent/corrupt. A little reversed from how the US sees the Feds as the big money grabbers, but the states are trying to help the little guy.

    17. Re:China by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      They're culturally complacent, just like we are here, in the US.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    18. Re:China by shadowofwind · · Score: 1

      Why do people still live there again? Seriously though, I wonder what the morale of people who live there is like? Do they all hate it but have nowhere else to go, or are they just culturally complacent with their rights being trampled on?

      Despite the lack of free political expression, in some practical ways many Chinese people have more freedom than we have in America.

      As a mundane example....try working and saving money for several years, then try taking a year or two off to do something else. No matter how good your credit history is and how much money you have piled up in the bank, you are likely to have a hard time renting an apartment, because you're not following the pattern expected by the leasing companies. Then try getting a good price on some antibiotics when you get sick. (As one wag put it, if agribusiness could sell humans as a food product we wouldn't have this problem.) And see if you can get another job after you haven't worked for a year. Depending on what your niche was, you're almost completely screwed. Yes you have free speech, but nobody cares what you have to say anyway.

      In many ways China is more dirty, abusive, and corrupt, but their economy is less gridlocked. I would rather live in America, but not by a wide margin.

    19. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Parent has to be a troll...

      America was founded to give citizens more rights and freedoms, not less. The right to privacy is one that is quickly disappearing in this new technological era, though it's no surprise. The populace is too engaged in gadgets and gizmos, and celebrity goings-on to notice (or maybe care?) what is being done in the name of "safety and security". All this in a time when the education system is failing miserably when compared to other first-world countries.

      I don't remember being asked to vote on whether or not I can be warrantless wire-tapped. There's lots of rights that have been taken away without asking the people what they think. They're simply told "This is for your own good."

      Face it, our government looks for any excuse to take freedoms away, because there's big money in it.
      Without new laws to break, there'd be no need for additional police, lawyers, judges, prison guards, and buildings to put those people in.
      Without a need to tax citizens to pay for all of those services then there'd be less taxes, and subsequently less of a pool to steal from. Who's gonna pay for all the $350 hammers?

      The mindset for American citizens going on about their daily lives isn't that far off from those of the people in the countries you've mentioned.
      "Do what the men in charge tell you is OK, or else!"
      In our country the "or else" is being locked away in cage and forcibly anal raped by someone who probably (statistically speaking) has AIDS. While it may not be as bad as the death penalty for breaking any law, it's not much better.

      Also, I've never met anyone who's goth and emo. They're two different sociological groups. Well done lumping them all together into a single group you can hate, since they don't think/act/dress like you.

    20. Re:China by geekoid · · Score: 1

      How about we just air drop 1.3 billion guns?

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    21. Re:China by Rocketship+Underpant · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm not sure about that. Chinese tourism (i.e. regular Chinese folks going abroad) is growing so rapidly they will soon eclipse the other major oubound-tourist countries, and they are already in fifth place when counting money spent on tourism abroad. I suspect the bigger trouble is finding countries that will give them visas. It's exceptionally difficult for nearly anyone to visit the US, and not just the Chinese.

      --
      He who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.
    22. Re:China by morcego · · Score: 1

      Why do people still live there again? Seriously though, I wonder what the morale of people who live there is like? Do they all hate it but have nowhere else to go, or are they just culturally complacent with their rights being trampled on?

      You know, I ask myself the same kind of question whenever I read about the newest civil and/or privacy rights abuse by the USA government. Why do people still live in the USA ? I see three possible answers for this case (applied to either China or USA):

      1) They don't know any better
      2) They don't have the means to move out
      3) For them, the good outweighs the bad, making it still worth it

      Couldn't the same be said for any country in the world ?

      --
      morcego
    23. Re:China by CyberSlammer · · Score: 0

      The USA already has 11 million refugees from Mexico, what's 1.3 billion more?

    24. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You fool! I'll take a temporary abherrance like the Patriot Act anyday over ubiquitous CCTV cameras, thought crime (holocaust denial), etc.

    25. Re:China by Stan+Vassilev · · Score: 1

      Why do people still live there again? Seriously though, I wonder what the morale of people who live there is like? Do they all hate it but have nowhere else to go, or are they just culturally complacent with their rights being trampled on?

      I've thought about that several times for USA during the Bush years and all the abuse happening post 9/11. But then I realized: who the heck am I to tell someone else how to live their life? And I'd advise you do the same :)

    26. Re:China by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Why do people still live there again?

      I imagine they ask the same question about us...

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    27. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Democracy is mob rule, tyranny of the majority, and in case you're wondering, the US has never been a democracy, it's a constitutional republic.

    28. Re:China by dangitman · · Score: 1

      What makes you think they'd use them for liberation? And if history teaches us anything, after any revolution, you just get a new regime in charge.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    29. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Actually, they really don't have anywhere to go. Ask a Chinese citizen how difficult (nearly impossible) for anyone but the uber rich to get a visa to travel to a "first world" country.

      Check your facts!

      The problem is not getting out, the problem is that those oh so kind first world countries impose crazy restrictions to allow Chinese citizens to travel *IN*.

    30. Re:China by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 1

      Its ironic that you say the parent has to be a troll and then go into depth reasserting the same thing I was saying, but with more detail.

      The problem is that while we started with a premise for freedom, we have let out governments take control of things they should not have control over. Like China, the citizens of many "first world" countries either make no effort to oppose the government or the group is sufficiently small to be cast off as a vocal minority, and that if they are heard beyond a small interest group. There are people who would love to get their governments to take notice, but feel so lost in the system that they give up before even starting. There is also the other group that is unaware that any of this is happening, because mainstream media doesn't necessarily cover the issues.

      --
      Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  5. Not exactly shocking from sony.. by GeorgeStone22 · · Score: 1

    Anyone remember the rootkit fiasco?

  6. Boycot Sony. by AndGodSed · · Score: 1

    That basically settles it for me - I won't buy a sony product until things like this stops.

    I had a sony-erricson phone a few years back, and now I am stuck with a Nokia 9300 (which I am [was] very happy with) and now I am going Android and no more sony, nokia and siemens...

    --

    Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity

    1. Re:Boycot Sony. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It would make more sense for you to boycott anything make in China, rather than anything made by Sony.

    2. Re:Boycot Sony. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      That basically settles it for me - I won't buy a sony product until things like this stops.

      I had a sony-erricson phone a few years back, and now I am stuck with a Nokia 9300 (which I am [was] very happy with) and now I am going Android and no more sony, nokia and siemens...

      You'll be boycotting all PC manufacturers. They all assemble their products in Chinese factories and China is a market of over a billion people. They ALL will be selling PCs in China with this OS on it.

    3. Re:Boycot Sony. by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That basically settles it for me - I won't buy a sony product until things like this stops.

      What, the two other rootkits were not enough for you? And yes, the fact that they got away with them is probably the reason that this has them not at all worried.

    4. Re:Boycot Sony. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Phew, thankfully I just bought a laptop recently and it wasn't a Sony.

      It was a Lenovo Thinkpad, they're only partially owned by the Chinease government. That makes it better, right?

    5. Re:Boycot Sony. by AVee · · Score: 1

      That basically settles it for me - I won't buy a sony product until things like this stops.

      You seriously mean you where still buying stuff from Sony? They've bean in the bussiness and 'total control' for quite a while now...

    6. Re:Boycot Sony. by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      That basically settles it for me - I won't buy a sony product until things like this stops. I had a sony-erricson phone a few years back, and now I am stuck with a Nokia 9300

      XCP settled it for me. I'll keep that five year old Trinitron until it burns out, but you can bet its replacement WON'T be a Sony.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  7. Anonymouse Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I live in China and just got a new Eeepc this morning. While I was shopping around most of the salespeople and shop owners made a point of saying that none of their computers had Green Dam installed.

    This is just another policy that some old fogey in the propaganda department or MIIT thinks is good for "the people" but it is absolutely impossible to implement. Hell, I had to shop around and eventually ended up ordering a XP version online because everyone local said they all just bought Linux versions and installed Windows, Office, and whatever for free.

    1. Re:Anonymouse Coward by netsharc · · Score: 1

      Well I suppose only the Chinese Joe Six-Pack will fall under Big Brother's eyes, I wonder what the law says about uninstalling the program, if nothing, then uninstall away!

      If they do get serious about it, I'll bet a hacker will make the first "dud" program, it's probably only detectable through accessing a remote port, I'd make a quasi-VM, and let them spy in there!

      --
      What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
  8. My first censor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would begin boycotting Sony if I was not doing it already.

    1. Re:My first censor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Me too, but how many would have to join the boycott for it to actually affect the way they do business?
      And, how do they know you're boycotting them?

  9. Apple Computers? by n2art2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So does that mean that Apple will no longer be able to sell computers to China? Maybe they can install Vista in dual boot, and install Green Dam in Vista, and then just never run Vista.

    This brings up a interesting situation though. Is there a version of Green Dam for every OS, or will China authorize different web filtering software on other OSes?

    --
    Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.
    1. Re:Apple Computers? by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hmmm.... Can Green Dam run in Wine? :)

    2. Re:Apple Computers? by WebmasterNeal · · Score: 1

      Could always use a version of Linux, even one that runs off a CD so you don't leave any traces on your computer.

      --
      "During My Service In The United States Congress, I Took The Initiative In Creating The Internet." -Al Gore
    3. Re:Apple Computers? by dark42 · · Score: 1

      Apple will probably just throw the CD in with the computer sale, they are not required to install it but to at least give the customer a CD. Sure, the software will be unusable in Mac OS X but that way they're compliant with the law.
      Actually I'm surprised Sony started installing it, not just diving the customer a CD.

    4. Re:Apple Computers? by A12m0v · · Score: 1

      I can't find the entry in the appdb and I don't have Green Dam to test it.

      --
      GENERATION 25: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    5. Re:Apple Computers? by geekoid · · Score: 1

      Yes, The Chinese government is well known for allowing people to gt by on the intent of their rules based on verbal loopholes of the law~

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    6. Re:Apple Computers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no version of Green Dam for Mac OS, or Linux. It is Windows only. I'd actually be surprised if it's even been tested to work on Windows 7.

      I live in Shanghai and installed it in a VM for the fun of it. Removing it was as easy as Add/Remove programs.

  10. Green Dam Not Required by Colonel+Korn · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090630/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_internet_4

      14 mins ago

    BEIJING â" China's state media says the government will postpone enforcement of a new rule mandating all new computers be sold with a filtering software.

    The rule was to go into effect starting Wednesday, but the official Xinhua News Agency said in a brief report late Tuesday that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had decided to delay the plan. It did not say why or give any other details.

    --
    "I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
    1. Re:Green Dam Not Required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, for companies that were gonna comply, <6 hours is kinda short to factory-remove software on machines that must have reached stores by now.

    2. Re:Green Dam Not Required by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Sony : Please request install Green Dam on shop floor not factory floor. We lose face.
      China: Ok.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  11. That's irrelevant by Chrisq · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That's irrelevant. I come from the UK too, and I the way things are going there is not enough difference to make it worthwhile them coming. They have more firewalls, but we have more listening, CCCTV cameras, numberplate recognition cameras, etc. The government can follow you here just as easily as in China.

  12. Installed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Engadget is reporting that the software is not installed but provided for installation by the customer. It apparrently comes with instructions detailing the installation and uninstallation instructions.

    So, who should I believe here?

  13. WEll no wonder by just_another_sean · · Score: 1

    Rebecca MacKinnon also suggest that the Chinese government is considering similar filtering requirements for mobile phones.

    Looks like Sony's getting geared up for this too...

    --
    Creationist Textbook Stickers Declared Unconstitutional by CowboyNeal
  14. great britain had IRA bombs by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    and then al qaeda bombs

    so the uk wants to track street movement

    china, meanwhile, wants to control what you read and what you think, because they are afraid of losing an ideological lock on the country

    not that i am supporting the uk govt, nor the chinese govt, but what the uk does with cctv cameras is not the same as what china does with the internet

    if you actually want to fight oppression, you have to be intelligent about it, and accurately understand what force you are fighting. not mindlessly thinking the govt wants to contol you just for the hell of it. WHY does the uk have cctv cameras? WHY does china want to filter everything? the uk govt, and the chinese govt, are mostly well meaning idiots, not sith lords or agent smith

    the uk believes the cameras are what it has to do to protect its citizens from bombs. right or wrong, that is their motivation

    china was psychologically scarred by decades of humiliation by foreign powers. china sees different ideological ideas and sees a gateway to controversy, loss of order, and therefore weakness and foreign domination again. china holds harmony and order to be more important than freedom. right or wrong, that is their motivation. of course in the modern world, china could just outright buy japan and great britain, two of the powers that most humiliated it (the opium wars, world war ii). so china really needs to wake up from its persecution complex and allow a flowering of modern democratic tolerance. it will take awhile, but the grumpy old men in beijing don't live forever

    understand the reason the govt does what it does, and therefore arrive at an intelligent way to fight them. but just a mindless "the govt wants to control you just because its like a bad hollywood movie" is paranoid schizophrenia, not intelligence

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:great britain had IRA bombs by Like2Byte · · Score: 1

      ...
      understand the reason the govt does what it does, and therefore arrive at an intelligent way to fight them. but just a mindless "the govt wants to control you just because its like a bad hollywood movie" is paranoid schizophrenia, not intelligence

      Did the Chinese make you say that?

      {{ducks}}

  15. Green Dam is a good thing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have a similar new technology in Germany to catch pedophiles. If it works pedos will fuck (their) children again instead of looking at pictures and movies and the media doesn't need to be offended by the Internet anymore.

  16. What is the exact translation? by goffster · · Score: 1

    Is it required that you run it?
    Or simply a requirement that the system come with it
    pre-installed ?

    1. Re:What is the exact translation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you only need to include the setup files, installing and running is optional

  17. Green Dam in other countries? by pentalive · · Score: 1

    I wonder if Sony machines will show up in other countries with green dam installed.

    Sony: "Well you see, we have this image that is just copied onto each machine..."

  18. Green Tsunami" to remove "Green Dam by beadwindow · · Score: 2, Informative

    UltraSurf is a free software which enables users inside countries with heavy Internet censorship to visit any public web sites in the world safely and freely. Users in countries without internet censorship also use it to protect their internet privacy and security. With UltraSurf started, you can use web browsers (like IE, Firefox) the same as before, but all are under UltraSurf's protection now. Latest version UltraSurf 9.5 (.zip) -- include "Green Tsunami" to remove "Green Dam"

  19. Just install Linux or *BSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How hard would it gbe to just install Linux or *BSD on your computer.

  20. Sorry, but no. by geekoid · · Score: 1, Informative

    You do not get to have your cake and eat it to.

    ". But the company is disclaiming responsibility for any damage caused by the Web filtering software. "

    For every person who is silenced, imprisoned and killed due to censorship from the content you ship, there is blood on your hands.

    This goes for Cisco, MS and , yes, our beloved Google.

    Contrary to the group thing, corporation do have more responsibility then making money. They are part of society, and as such have certian social contract and responsibilities like we all do.

    Shame on you.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:Sorry, but no. by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For every person who is silenced, imprisoned and killed due to censorship from the content you ship, there is blood on your hands.

      Why would a corporate mammon-worshiper care?

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  21. Censorship by WilyCoder · · Score: 1

    Censorship is such a fucked up concept.

  22. it's very simple by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    know your enemy

    know their motivations and their psychology

    but if people think of "da gubmint" as some pointless alien mind control, they will never get rid of what they don't like world governments doing, because they don't understand why governments do what they do

    but some people like living in that shallow one dimensional stupid hollywood plot way of thinking about their world. it fills them with empty righteous indignation and no real thought about real problems or need or ability to commit to changing anything, just pointless whining about moronic stereotypes that don't exist

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:it's very simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AMEN! I feel EXACTLY the same way.

  23. Unhealthy Content by 517714 · · Score: 1

    FTA "Green Dam is supposed to prevent Internet users from encountering "unhealthy" content online, specifically pornography. But independent analysis of the software has found that it also blocks political content."

    In China people who view certain political content tend to die young, so the government is watching out for their best interests - it is a legitimate health issue!

    --
    The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
  24. china not be fooled by chris.evans · · Score: 1

    into green dam, when they put debian on their disks. i say not support any manufacture that not alolow hardware to be run other os.

  25. that's like the same CEO who said by KingBenny · · Score: 0

    nothing good could come from the internet , right ? shall i rest my case already ... i hope the American Govt takes a firm stand against anyone helping out countries who o- and repress their own people. But in case of Nokia/Siemens i get the idea they just wondered 'how they could have missed out on such great technology' lol

    --
    Free speech was meant to be free for all... how can anyone grow up in a nanny state ?