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?
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.