SCI/TECH: Microsoft Censoring Words In Chinese Blogs

Microsoft is under fire for censoring blogs in its new MSN China Internet service. Words such "freedom", "democracy", "Taiwan independence", "demonstration" and "human rights" are among those censored in the free service. If the words are used, they are replaced with the following message: "prohibited language, please remove." A spokesman for Microsoft indicated that the company complies with law of the countries with which it operates. Other companies such as Yahoo, Amazon, and Google have also censored content in China as well.



While Microsoft is not alone in this policy (The Google censorship story was featured here on ATSNN last year), it is mind boggling that companies would so readily agree to this type of restriction. No doubt other countries would rush in to fill the gap, but there is a question of morality and freedom of speech here. China is cracking down on internet use across the board and the corporations are aiding and abetting them in this nefarious undertaking.

I agree, this type of business practise was not tolerated when dealing with South Africa. Why does China get such special treatment?

I'm looking forward to when they ban it in the states.

China is a communist country. Companies wishing to do business with China can either follow their guidelines, or China will not do business with them. China is a huge market in the world and it is no surprise that everyone wants to do business with them. Nothing new here at all.

Would you have American companies boycott China and its merchandise? Quite simply, We Can't.

Zip

We could boycott, but then Walmart shelves would be empty
Almost everything is made "there", if we didn't pay them, they would either have to change or become an economic weakling. The only real reason China has any power at all is because of the billions of people making up the country and the cheap labor market that allows.

The practice may seem abhorent to you, but reverse the issue and have China doing business in the US. How happy would you be if they didn't follow our laws?

You forget that Microsoft is only interested in dollars and with a quarter of the worlds population in China that's a lot of future customers.

I agree with u.
Many people in US think that all other countries must comply with US's concept. But every county has its own culture and law, US has no right to rebuke anything.

Originally posted by Astronomer68
The practice may seem abhorent to you, but reverse the issue and have China doing business in the US. How happy would you be if they didn't follow our laws?

Originally posted by usual
I agree with u.
Many people in US think that all other countries must comply with US's concept. But every county has its own culture and law, US has no right to rebuke anything.

Originally posted by Astronomer68
The practice may seem abhorent to you, but reverse the issue and have China doing business in the US. How happy would you be if they didn't follow our laws?

Does the US censor words in the USA??? We are talking about censoring!!! or am i wrong?

Originally posted by ulshadow
Does the US censor words in the USA??? We are talking about censoring!!! or am i wrong?

No, we have freedom of speech here and China does not because China is a communist country.

As such, their Internet forums and chatrooms are moderated and censored (as are their newspapers). For violating the censorship laws, an individual may be fined, but a reporter would face imprisonment.

Zip

[edit on 6/15/2005 by Zipdot]

As zipdot said, this has nothing to do with MS, and blaming them is missing the point.

The government of China owns and control all media and information.

If they believe something must be censored, you either censor it or you don't do business there. Period.

Do some research and you'll find the Chinese government does a lot more controlling than someone changing up the word "freedom" in a blog. Small potatoes.

Computers just made communist control a lot easier. They used to have to control the after effects of people talking about freedom. Now they can just make it so that it never happened.

Not so long ago, I was heavily interested in China and the ways in which they handled their censorship and media control. I read an article that spoke of party members being embedded in chatrooms and appearing as normal people chatting about how good communism is and how they agreed with the leadership about all kinds of issues.

This somewhat reminded my of the thought police in 1984, but I'm not sure if that was life imitating art or vice versa.

Zip

Because China is possibly the only real threat to the Western world in the future...and because China is possibly the only real ally the US will have left if rampant fanatical islam goes unchecked?

Chin'a gotten special treatment since Carter, at least, and will continue to do so. Our nation has allied with much worse devils, after all. How goes the old saw: the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

Originally posted by valkeryie
I agree, this type of business practise was not tolerated when dealing with South Africa. Why does China get s

uch special treatment?

Sounds a lot like the so called professional bloggers and people paid by corporations as part of "viral marketing" campaigns.

There is a very, very thin line between propaganda and thought control, and even thinner between those and advertising. We allow all sorts of manufacturing of information and false truths for the mere purpose of making more profit for corporations, it's not hard to see the same wrong-headed behavior justified to be used for something as important as maintaining a nation's status quo.

Originally posted by Zipdot
Not so long ago, I was heavily interested in China and the ways in which they handled their censorship and media control. I read an article that spoke of party members being embedded in chatrooms and appearing as normal people chatting about how good communism is and how they agreed with the leadership about all kinds of issues.

This somewhat reminded my of the thought police in 1984, but I'm not sure if that was life imitating art or vice versa.

Zip

Originally posted by Zipdot
Not so long ago, I was heavily interested in China and the ways in which they handled their censorship and media control. I read an article that spoke of party members being embedded in chatrooms and appearing as normal people chatting about how good communism is and how they agreed with the leadership about all kinds of issues.

This somewhat reminded my of the thought police in 1984, but I'm not sure if that was life imitating art or vice versa.

Zip

where's that article now? i wanna read it hehehe
Edit: spell check

[edit on 15-6-2005 by ulshadow]

Great article.

I think this is a great example of showing how America is no longer interested in protecting democracy as much as it is capitalism; I'm speechless... F* all of them.

We will bury you !

The generations scanning these posts are no doubt many, and perhaps it is more for the baby-boomers that issues such as this are meaningful.
The Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Constitution... backed by multitudes of nameless people who have given much to call themselves Americans.... provided Microsoft the 'infrastructure' in which to thrive and make it's millions.
In gratitude it cows to the whimsy of foreign tyrants who share few if any of our sacred beliefs. One wishes for a simpler time when the phrase "You have behaved disgracefully" might have an impact.

I disagree. When asked into someone's home, you respect the household rules. If you don't agree with the way China is governed, you are free to live in America or another country that you prefer. As much as we are lead to believe that China is a tyranny and the people need to be freed, this is not the case to the Chinese.

In reality, just as much as we think electing leaders for several years at a time to make our decisions for us is "by the people, for the people," so do communists believe that their socially-minded system is by and for the people.

I think that some of the responses in this thread are unreasonable and show ignorance with respect to The Way Things Really Are in the World.

Zip

It's a shame that Microsoft is doing this, but it has to be put in perspective.

First, the benefits that the internet and "computerization" (for lack of a better term) of China will bring to China in terms of people's access to information and ability to disseminate information far outweigh the negative side of these particular bans.

For those who say, "but not if China regulates the internet," I can tell you, they can try to dam the torrent, but people will find ways around whatever firewalls and the like they put up. I lived in Singapore for several years, where they are DECADES ahead of China in terms of both censorship technology and IT technology, and people were able to find their way around the former with the latter in no time at all. It is far harder to censor someone who has both internet access and a firewall than neither.

Second, Microsoft sells a morally questionable product to a morally suspect buyer. Well, it sucks, yes. But, shouldn't we be more outraged at such things as corporate arms sales to equally, if not more, odious regimes?

-koji K.



[edit on 15-6-2005 by koji_K]

Originally posted by koji_K

Second, Microsoft sells a morally questionable product to a morally suspect buyer. Well, it sucks, yes. But, shouldn't we be more outraged at such things as corporate arms sales to equally, if not more, odious regimes?

I find myself in agreement with most of your points, but I need enlightment about the portion above. Can you explain how Microsoft's product is morally questionable?

Concerning the original posting, the last of the article said: "China is cracking down on internet use across the board and the corporations are aiding and abetting them in this nefarious undertaking.

As far as I can determine, Internet usage in China is going up rapidly, so how is China cracking down on Internet use? If you mean that they are imposing censorship of the Internet then I agree they are being more diligent in monitoring what is being said on it, but this situation can't last long if Internet useage keeps skyrocketing. People will tend to watch what they say for the most part, but their underlying meanings will still get across and there are simply to many of them to stop them from talking about whatever it is they want to talk about.


[edit on 15-6-2005 by Astronomer68]

[edit on 15-6-2005 by Astronomer68]