Originally published July 8 2005
Microsoft works with Chinese government to censor blogs on new Chinese portal
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Wired Magazine reports that Microsoft is cooperating with the Chinese government to prevent bloggers from posting phrases like "human rights" and "Taiwan independence" on the MSN portal.
Microsoft is cooperating with China's government to censor the company's newly launched Chinese-language web portal, a spokesman for the tech giant said.
The policy affects blogs created through the MSN Spaces service, said Adam Sohn, a global sales and marketing director at MSN.
Microsoft and its government-funded Chinese business partner work with authorities to omit certain forbidden language, Sohn said, declining to provide specific examples.
China's government encourages internet use for business and education but tries to ban access to material deemed subversive.
It also recently demanded that website owners register with authorities by June 30 or face fines.
Chinese censors scour internet bulletin boards and blogs for sensitive material, and block access to violators.
Sohn said heavy-handed government censorship is accepted as part of the regulatory landscape in China, and the world's largest software firm believes its services still can foster expression in the country.
The journalists' group has sent letters to the presidents of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Cisco Systems and other companies urging executives to pressure the Chinese government for reforms on free expression.
Sohn said filters on domestic products also prevent some language -- generally profane or sexually explicit references -- from being posted to the web.
"We're in business in lots of countries.
I think every time you go into a market you are faced with a different regulatory environment and you have to go make a choice as a business," he said.
MSN China is a joint venture with Shanghai Alliance Investment, an investment company funded by the Chinese government.
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