An interesting claim I do not want to subsribe to the NY Times website to read the original "CN - Microsoft Shuts Blog's Site After Complaints by Beijing (New York Times) Microsoft has shut the blog site of a well-known Chinese blogger who uses its MSN online service in China after he discussed a high-profile newspaper strike. The decision is the latest in a series of measures in which some of America's biggest technology companies have cooperated with the Chinese authorities to censor Web sites and curb dissent or free speech online as they seek access to China's booming Internet marketplace. "
IIRC, China is the country where there exist the largest software piracy of the world. Perhaps they reached an agreement to censor dissidents and to fight piracy, a quid pro quo situation?
Google also backs off to Chinese pressure and consents to censor part of the search yields (the blogs, where dissidents expressed their views that conflict with those of the Chinese rulers). That is truly disgusting, especially now that it has been published that the Chinese economy is already bigger than that of France. They only care about $$$$. Google had way better name than Microsoft but it is the same. Really.
Indeed. So much for Google adhering to its mission statement: "Don't be evil". Also interesting that Google is resisting a request from the Bush Administration of a summary of search results that they claim would help to demonstrate the availability of pornography to children using the Internet. Considering that the Administration didn't ask for names or other identifying information of those searching, you'd think that this is a much less objectionable request than those the Chinese government makes. -=Steve=-
It is just about money. If Google starts giving info to the US government, most people would simply switch to a different search machine. That´s the same reason why they have no problems cooperating with a brutal dictatorship like China. $$$$$ They aren´t the nice guys of the internet anymore. They are as bad a Microsoft or Yahoo (which actually dared to turn a dissident to the Chinese authorities .......)
