Photo: AFP
Posted on 06/13/2005 5:23:55 AM PDT by LwinAungSoe
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BEIJING (AFP) - Users of Microsoft's new China-based Internet portal were blocked from using the words "democracy", "freedom" and "human rights" in an apparent move by the US software giant to appease Beijing.
Other words that could not be used on Microsoft's free online blog service MSN Spaces include "Taiwan independence" and "demonstration".
Bloggers who enter such words or other politically charged or pornographic content are prompted with a message that reads: "This item should not contain forbidden speech such as profanity. Please enter a different word for this item".
Officials at Microsoft's Beijing offices refused to comment Monday.
Internet sites in China are strongly urged to abide by a code of conduct and self-censor any information that could be viewed by the government as politically sensitive, pornographic or illegal.
For many Chinese websites, such content also includes news stories that the government considers unfavorable or does not want published.
New regulations issued in March now require that all China-based websites be formally registered with the government by the end of June or be shut down by Internet police.
Microsoft formed a joint venture with China's state-funded Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd (SAIL) last month to launch the MSN China web portal.
Microsoft is not the only international tech company to comply with China's stringent Internet rules.
Yahoo! and Google -- the two most popular Internet search engines -- have already been criticized for cooperating with the Chinese government to censor the Internet.
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) earlier said it "deplores the irresponsible policies of United States Internet firms Yahoo! and Google in bowing directly and indirectly to Chinese government demands for censorship".
An RSF spokesman said Monday the group was checking to see if Microsoft had followed suit.
"We are checking into this. If it is correct, it proves once again that US companies are actively collaborating with the Chinese government's censorship efforts," the spokesman told AFP.
"We strongly condemn that."
Yes. Bringing liberal/leftist American media is a great idea.
More MSNBC garbage will help China immensely.
I assume you watch and love MSNBC, NBC news and all the liberal mainstream media and swear by them as being at the forefront of liberty and fight for freedom.
"But, they are building, and they have 3 BILLION people. "
no, closer to 1.3 billion.
"The Chinese could put together an army of staggering size."
What would it eat? They have lousy logistics and transportation.
I assume you’re drunk.
You think China will invade during the Olympics in Beijing, huh?
Interesting.
The US will NOT get involved.
We are obligated to by law, as President Bush just reiterated the other day.
I appreciate that view Pete but it seems these companies are pretty much rolling over (bending over?) for the communist governments. There may be a fine line between information-based subversion and collaboration/enablement, but what side of the line does censoring the phrase "human rights" fall under? Could that be any more blatant?
Part of that is being good corporate citizens. Why do you think companies give to charity? Why do you think soda companies bottle water to give to people after disasters? Why do you think Starbucks helps small 3rd world coffee growers?
Yes, make snide comments when your lack of logical or coherent thinking is pointed out.
Perhaps there is a coherency there after all.
If you can’t recognize the “snide comments and lack of logical or coherent thinking” in your first post, you’re either drunk or a moron. Either way, don’t talk to me.
I agree, but with the realization that good PR is good for profits.
Rolling over may well be a phrase that suits the situation. It is far better for the folks that use these services for there to be some such service available. There is no negative to it. A little bit of exposure to Western ideas and realities is far superior to NO such exposure.And the restrictions are avoidable- defeatable and will be avoided and defeated. In Sai Gon I had demonstrated to me why the government restrictions were not even particularly inconvenient. That is the nature of the medium and the nature of the people who use it. It is a "foot in the door"; the camel's nose is in the tent. All the restrictions in the world will not stop the flow of information so long as the net is accessible.
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