[ga] 0:203 ONLINE.....Re: [csif-l 696] Yahoo silent on signing Chinese self-censorship pact

["Jim Fleming" <JimFleming@ameritech.net>]

Sounds like the I* society at work....

By the way, who owns http://www.Yahoo.ONLINE ?

http://www.name-space.com
http://www.adns.net/NEWS/2002070101.html


Jim Fleming
2002:[IPv4]:000X:03DB:...IPv8 is closer than you think...
http://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv4-address-space
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/130dftmail/unir.txt
0:203     ONLINE


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Chiu" <CCHIU@aclu.org>
To: "Csif-L@Jca. Apc. Org (E-mail)" <csif-l@jca.apc.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 10:11 AM
Subject: [csif-l 696] Yahoo silent on signing Chinese self-censorship pact


> "Yahoo! officials have remained tight-lipped after being criticised by human
> right groups for signing a voluntary self-censorship pledge in China to help
> purge Web content that the government deems subversive.
> 
> "Human Rights Watch, in a letter to Yahoo!'s chief executive Terry Semel,
> said that by agreeing to the pledge, the portal would undermine the positive
> potential of the Internet in China.
> 
> "'Were Yahoo! to implement its provisions, it could become complicit in
> violations of the right to free expression,' wrote Kenneth Roth, executive
> director of Human Rights Watch. ...
> 
> "Yahoo!, which has been a supporter of freedom of expression elsewhere in
> the world, was one of 300 companies in the mainland agreeing to implement
> the 'Public Pledge on Self-discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry',
> which was launched in March.
> 
> "The pledge, sponsored by government-affiliated Internet Society of China,
> aims to promote Internet use, prevent cyber crime, foster healthy industry
> competition and avoid violation of intellectual property rights.
> 
> "However, signatories also agree to refrain from 'producing, posting or
> disseminating pernicious information that may jeopardise state security and
> disrupt social stability'.
> 
> "They agree to investigate all Web sites to which they provide links, block
> anything the Chinese government would consider 'harmful information', and
> report them to Chinese authorities.
> 
> "The self-discipline pledge is seen as a move by Beijing to have tighter
> control over public expression of views on controversial subjects such as
> religion and politics. ...
> 
> "Yahoo! has not responded to the criticism. Its regional office in Hong Kong
> yesterday said no one was available for comment.
> 
> "'It is undoubtedly a case that firms sacrifice freedom for money. More and
> more companies carry out self-censorship for the opportunity to do business
> in China,' said Hong Kong-based human rights activist Ho Hei-wah." 
> 
> See Sidney Luk, "Portal silent on censor claims in China," South China
> Morning Post, 13 August 2002 at
> http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2002/08.13.2002/China5.htm
> 
> Sincerely,
> Christopher Chiu
> Global Internet Liberty Campaign Organizer
> American Civil Liberties Union
> 
> 


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