It has now become no secret that Internet companies wishing to do business in China must take exception to the wishes of the Chinese government. Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and now Skype have all had to
filter out phrases like "Falun Gong" "Dalai Lama" and qualify others like "freedom" and "democracy." As a Business Week article reveals, American Internet users know very little about the size and
scope of Chinese censorship, and the extent to which multinationals themselves censor their own content, knowingly. Beijing employs more than 30,000 pairs of eyeballs to look out for content that
ought to be censored. In the U.S., that number is roughly 16,000 -- though, ostensibly, they aren't looking to censor content. Internet media companies worldwide are constantly being given lists
containing hundreds of banned words that change over time depending on the news. For companies that host their sites on servers in China -- like Yahoo! -- they are forced to sign something called the
"Public Pledge on Self-Discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry," according to the U.S. State Dept. These companies must agree not to distribute information that "breaks laws or spreads
superstition or obscenity," or that "may jeopardize state security and disrupt social stability." Analysts say this basically means that U.S. and other companies using Chinese servers are completely
accountable for what appears on their Web properties in China. All Internet traffic entering or leaving China must pass through government controlled computers that analyze Web site and email
requests. For example, in 2004 hackers found 987 words that were blocked from government-controlled instant messaging programs. The collective industry response: "We don't touch politics." And nor
should they, but I think one day the pace of innovation will surpass censors' ability to control a growing and maturing Internet.
Read the whole story at Business Week »
