[ga] US Lawmakers Lambaste US Tech Firms for Submitting to Censorship Pressure Abroad

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,

See:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4699242.stm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021500301_pf.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/16/china_committee/print.html
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2006/0,4814,108725,00.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2006-02-15-hearing_x.htm


(16/15 February 2006)
At a US House of Representatives Committee on International Relations
hearing this week, US lawmakers took four US companies to task for their

business practices in China.  Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Cisco Systems

were criticized for bowing to pressure from the Chinese government as
manifested in censoring web sites and providing the Chinese government
with customer information that led to arrests.  Legislators asserted
that the companies appeared to be motivated by profits and that they
neglected "social responsibility."  The companies welcome the US
government's guidance in their efforts to "expand in nations with poor
human rights records," but cautioned that pulling out of those countries

could encourage the growth of competitors that do not share the US
government's concerns.

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
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