Tech Firms Snub Feds
Four of the top U.S. technology companies refused an invitation to attend a congressional briefing on the subject of human rights and the Internet in China.
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Cisco Systems did not respond to formal invitations sent by the Congressional Human Rights Caucus but called, or emailed, their refusals to attend the briefing on Wednesday. [from the RED HERRING]
I suppose the Caucus wants to know one of two things:
1) How did you guys censor PORN in China and can you do it in Amerika?
2) How could you guys have caved into Chinese government censorship?
Hopefully it's not number 1; and if it's number two, this caucus is certainly hypocritical in light of our own government's actions in the past few weeks. See my posts Recruits for Porn Squad, Feds seek Search Records, and Google Censored.
CNET, Firms snub congressional briefing on China
Microsoft and Cisco Systems have turned down an invite to attend a Feb. 1 congressional briefing on freedom of speech and the Internet in China, according to a report from AFP News. Google and Yahoo have not yet given a final answer on whether they will attend, according to the report.
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus asked the companies to attend the briefing following Google's announcement last week that it will launch versions of its search and news Web sites in China that censor material deemed objectionable to authorities there.
An investigation published Thursday by CNET News.com showed that Google's new China search engine not only censored criticisms of the Chinese government, but went further than similar services from Microsoft and Yahoo by targeting sites related to teen pregnancy, alcohol, dating and homosexuality.
The search giant's move has been sharply criticized by human-rights advocates. The company, however, isn't alone in acquiescing to Chinese authorities--Yahoo and Microsoft have also done so.
On Friday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates defended U.S. tech companies, including his own, that do business in China even when they are required to agree to censorship.
The Internet is "contributing to Chinese political engagement" as "access to the outside world is preventing more censorship," Gates was quoted as saying in an article in The Times Online.
We all know what your brain on drugs looks like, here's what the Internet looks like with censorship (it helps if you look at it while squinting):
