Google has been accused of 'collaborating with persecutors'
Congress to investigate Google's China decision
/v3-uk/news/1991326/congress-investigate-googles-china-decision
26 Jan 2006, Iain Thomson , V3
Google, Microsoft and Yahoo will be the subjects of a US congressional committee over agreements to censor internet services to Chinese citizens.
Chris Smith, chairman of the house subcommittee that oversees global human rights, has announced that he will hold a hearing on 16 February to investigate the conduct of US technology firms in China.
"It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is 'Don't be evil', would enable evil by co-operating with China's censorship policies just to make a buck," said Smith, a Republican representing New Jersey.
"China's policy of cutting off the free flow of information is prohibitive for the growth of democracy and the rule of law. Many Chinese have suffered imprisonment and torture in the service of truth, and now Google is collaborating with their persecutors."
Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco are being asked to attend and explain their behaviour.
Also scheduled to testify are James Keefe, State Department senior advisor for China and Mongolia, Julien Pain from Reporters Without Borders, and Harry Wu from the LaoGai Research Foundation.
It's been a busy week for Google in Washington. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy sent a letter (PDF) to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales requesting information about the Department of Justice's subpoenas to four major internet companies seeking data on the search habits of millions of Americans.
Leahy, the ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, asked in his letter for the types of information the Justice Department was seeking, how the Department intends to use that information while protecting Americans' privacy and civil liberties, and whether the Department will issue any additional subpoenas to internet firms that seek personally identifiable information.
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Do you agree?
This must, or should, be a joke
Congress must have something better to do with their time. Didn't we push to get China into the WTO? Aren't we trying to incorporate them into the world-flow of things? Google and the other companies named in this article are only helping that cause. Sure, they're going to make a few bucks along the way. Big deal - that's what businesses do. Our government censors things every day in this country in some way or another. So who cares if Google censors their search results to enter into a big market. And my guess is that this will open up the flow of information in China much more than what the Chinese are currently enduring.
Posted by CAM, 26 Jan 2006
It is only for china
here you have to turn over all the search results to big brother ! give me a break
Posted by Rantakka, 26 Jan 2006
Google joins IBM on tech to oppress for $
This is little different from how IBM sold Holerith punch-card 'computers' to the Nazis, which were used to hunt down Germany's Jewish population. IBM technicians even installed and repaired them in concentration camps.
You are free to read this because someone defended your freedom of speech, & in many countries, many gave their lives to fight for your freedom to read this.
Companies with the courage to resist the lure of cash to help enslave others will help keep you and me free. Companies who succumb will make the chains which will enslave others, and once no-one is left to resist, even you and me.
"...they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew..." "They came for me..."
Posted by Support Freedom!, 27 Jan 2006