[governance] Tech giants in human rights deal

Tue Oct 28 23:31:28 EDT 2008

Peter and all,

  Always good to hear from you Peter.  I believe the search
engine you might have been looking for or thinking of is
ASK  www.ask.com.  I certainly prefer it to Google any day,
simply because it provides far better for users security and
privacy.  Maybe someday, Google will get it, but seems that
day is not today.

  Certainly you are correct in my opinion and the opinion of
the vast majority of our members that MS, Yahoo and Google
are the "Big 3" that thwart online free speech, despite their
own marketing jargon and civil society affiliations to the contrary
for the sake of appearances.  Look at what they do, not what they
say.  Sen. Obama is quite right on that score.  If it looks like a duck,
walks like a duck, paddles in the water like a duck, but doesn't
quack like a duck, it 75% likely it's a duck.  However some might
say/think its a hybrid!  >:)  Maybe their right, but if so its a lousy
one.

Peter Dambier wrote:

> Sorry,
>
> accidently been reading
>
> Microsoft, Google and Yahoo to offer better protection from online free speech.
>
> Whenever you have time or get unexpected results try to compare
>
> google.de - keep the interface in german
> google.fr - french interface
> google.sp - keep the interface in spanish
> google.it - keep the interface in italian
> google.nl - keep the interface in dutch
>
> Even "harmless" queries for a bank or a cult might give you the pros in
> one language and the cons in the other e.g. the company in german the
> trade union in french, querying for a german company.
>
> As long as you dont look for Berlusconi, italian might be the
> best joice. If you want to find the lies only, try english.
>
> Well, we dont depend on google. There are other search engines - I only
> cannot remember which ones.
>
> Kind regards
> Peter
>
> kwasi boakye-akyeampong wrote:
> > My apologies for cross posting.
> >
> > Kwasi
> > *__*
> > *_Tech giants in human rights deal_*
> >
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7696356.stm
> >
> > By Maggie Shiels
> > Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley
> >
> >
> > People using the internet in Beijing
> > Google was accused of censoring 2% of search results in China
> >
> > *Microsoft, Google and Yahoo have signed a global code of conduct
> > promising to offer better protection for online free speech and against
> > official intrusion.*
> >
> > The Global Network Initiative follows criticism that companies were
> > assisting governments in countries like China to censor the Internet.
> > The guidelines seek to limit what data should be shared with
> > authorities, in cases where free speech is an issue.
> > "This is an important first step," said Mike Posner of Human Rights First.
> > He told the BBC "What this is is a recognition by all these tech
> > companies, the human rights groups and social investors that there has
> > to be a collective response to this growing problem.
> > "Companies need to step up to the plate and be more aggressive in
> > challenging unwarranted government interference," he said.
> > The initiative states that privacy is "a human right and guarantor of
> > human dignity," and the agreement commits the companies to try to resist
> > overly broad demands for restrictions on freedom of speech and the
> > privacy of users.
> > They will also assess the human rights climate in a country before
> > concluding business deals and make sure their employees and partners
> > follow suit.
> > "These principles are not going to be a silver bullet, but the most
> > important point for me is to provide transparency," said Danny O'Brien
> > of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
> > "We have joined this initiative because we know that a wide range of
> > groups working together can achieve much more than the company acting
> > alone," said Andrew McLaughlin, Google's director of global public policy.
> > *'Valuable roadmap'*
> > The impetus for such an agreement follows years of criticism that a
> > number of businesses, including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have
> > complicity built what has been dubbed the "Great Firewall of China".
> > Screen grab of Skype website
> > Skype say they are abiding by Chinese laws over internet use
> >
> > Google has been accused of complying with Chinese government demands to
> > filter internet searches to eliminate query results regarding topics
> > such as democracy or Tiananmen Square.
> > Microsoft has come under attack for blocking the blog of a prominent
> > Chinese Media researcher who posted articles critical of a management
> > purge at the Beijing News Daily.
> > Canadian researchers uncovered that a Skype joint venture in China
> > monitored users' communications.
> > And a Chinese reporter Shi Tao was jailed for 10 years after Yahoo China
> > provided his personal information to the Chinese government.
> > Today Yahoo co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang welcomed the new code of conduct.
> > "These principles provide a valuable roadmap for companies like Yahoo
> > operating in markets where freedom of expression and privacy are
> > unfairly restricted.
> > Shi Tao, file picture
> > Shi Tao's jailing sparked a controversy of Yahoo business practices in China
> >
> > "Yahoo was founded on the belief that promoting access to information
> > can enrich people's lives and the principles we unveiled today reflect
> > our determination that our actions match our values around the world,"
> > said Mr Yang.
> > While China has been painted as the worst abuser, Colin Maclay of the
> > Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University said there
> > are other countries and governments all over the world at fault.
> > "The number of states actively seeking to censor online content and
> > access personal information is growing.
> > "And the means employed - technical, social, legal, political - are
> > increasingly sophisticated, often placing internet and
> > telecommunications companies in difficult positions."
> > *'Business case'*
> > The Global Network Initiative was drawn up by the internet companies
> > along with human rights groups, academics and investors.
> > Adam Kanzer who is the managing director and general counsel at Domini
> > Social Investments said as well as being the right thing to do, it also
> > makes good business sense.
> > He told BBC News "When you see the industry being caught up in the
> > tactics of various regimes around the world, the business case is very
> > clear. Freedom of expression and privacy is core to their business.
> > "They depend on a wide open, freely accessible and secure internet.
> > That's what they are about. If people don't trust the internet and
> > believe they are secure, then that is counterproductive to their business."
> > Computer keyboard, Eyewire
> > The plan has yet to receive the support of internet companies in China
> >
> > The effort is already being seen by some as not going far enough.
> > "After two years of effort, they have ended up with so little," said
> > Morton Sklar executive director for the World Organisation for Human
> > Rights USA.
> > "It is very little more than a broad statement of support for a general
> > principle without any concrete backup mechanism to ensure that the
> > guidelines will be followed."
> > Mr Posner of Human Rights First disputes that and said this agreement
> > has not been set up as a "gotcha system" but as a way "to work with
> > companies to get them to improve what they are doing, credit them when
> > they do it and call them out if they fail."
> > While it is hoped many more companies will sign up, two European
> > telecommunications firms, France Telecom and Vodafone, are already said
> > to be considering adding their names.
> >
> >
> >
> > *..............................................................................................................................*
> > *âIf I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others,
> > what am I?    And if not now, when?â* - Rabbi Hillel
> > *..............................................................................................................................
> > <http://agyakwasi.blogspot.com/>
> > *
> >
> >
>
> --
> Peter and Karin Dambier
> Cesidian Root - Radice Cesidiana
> Rimbacher Strasse 16
> D-69509 Moerlenbach-Bonsweiher
> +49(6209)795-816 (Telekom)
> +49(6252)750-308 (VoIP: sipgate.de)
> mail: peter at peter-dambier.de
> http://www.peter-dambier.de/
> http://iason.site.voila.fr/
> https://sourceforge.net/projects/iason/
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Regards,

Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 281k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
   Abraham Lincoln

"Credit should go with the performance of duty and not with what is
very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

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