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Chinese Man Sues State-Owned Cell Phone Company For Blocking Google
jfruh writes China is notorious for censoring the Internet for its citizens, and access in the country became particularly spotty last year as the government tried to block any commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Tiannamen Square massacre. But now one Chinese man is striking back through the courts. A 26-year-old legal practitioner is suing his cell phone company, the government-owned China Unicom, and demanding a refund for periods in which he was unable to access Gmail or Google's Hong Kong search page.
Hope he enjoys his unmarked mass grave.
What is the Chinese equivalent of Gitmo?
The rule of law isn't quite ready for prime time in China. I applaud his courage, but I'm afraid he will wind up some place unpleasant. Deng Xiaoping made a deal with the people after Tienanmen: capitalism, as long as the Chinese Communist Party remains in control. This would strike at that control. The CCP, not the state, runs things.
Talk about painting a target. The next story we'll hear from him will involve his evaded taxes, his spreading of rumours and false news.
Long Wang sure has a lot of balls to do this
Aren't you guys exaggerating a bit? Even while this is China we are speaking about, why would a guy be executed for just suing an ISP?
What the hell are they supposed to use? Altavista!?
Am I the only one that read it as Chinese Unicorn?
That a citizen believes he can openly criticize his government without peril means, at the very least, that public perception of China is improving.
Not to force a Snowden parallel, but he believed something like this once.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
He is suing from Shenzen, mainland China. It would have been different if he sues from Hong Kong, which has a more independent judicial system. My guess is that he will be counter-sued by the state for obstructing the government, disturbing the peace and spreading anti-government messages. The lawsuit has no change of success, meanwhile, the litigator has a pretty big chance of having some phony charges pressed against him, and may end up in jail.
It's funny, but even though it seems like a "momma state" issue that they block access to a website, I can't imagine someone suing a company for what the NSA or FBI did and being successful.
Police using heavy handed techniques and traffic lights to procure revenue in your area? Good luck with that.
We have this impression of China as a place where the state does what it wants without repercussions -- but this court case tells me that I've got to reevaluate that image. It's not the China of 20 years ago.
>>"ad space available -- low rates!!!"
Unfortunately for him, the judge is also state-owned.
If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
Chinese Man Sues State-Owned Cell Phone Company For Blocking Google
Can I pay Verizon to block Google for me?
Brave Sir Robin ran away. ("No!") Bravely ran away away. ("I didn't!")
Ok first of all - in China, you can certainly sue state owned enterprises. It's likely about as successful as say, suing a corporation in the US with massive lobbyists, of course, and the guy acknowledges this. Second - in his own words - he's making a statement. Where's the class action possibility, I'd love to see how ridiculous it would get if it was opened up to be a class action of sorts, given that we're talking about hundreds of millions of subscribers all with gripes about censorship. To all the dumb fucks commenting above this - why you gotta hate on someone trying to fight for his rights, isn't that the FOUNDATION of freedom and a founding principal of the rights in the nations many of you call home? Give me a break, rather than be a douchebag why not be supportive of this type of positive fight.
China of 2014 is not the same as China of 1974.
Will his lawsuit win...uh probably not but hes following legal channels and not publicly protesting. In theory hes not suing the government
hes suing his cell phone company.
Astalavista http://www.astalavista.box.sk/
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Hey! There wasn't any racism in that, was there Chinaman?
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
The fact that a single man can sue the Chinese Gov't is amazing. You can't do that in the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave unless you have millions of dollars to piss away on lawyers fees.
So laugh it up. These days the Chinese Gov't seems more transparent than ours, at least they are open about their policies, while ours hide, obfuscate and outright lie.
I'd say that within 20 years you'll be wishing you were in China instead of living in a Fascist Police State that murders it's Corporate serfs with impunity.