Posted on 01/25/2006 11:46:25 PM PST by LibWhacker
Google will be called to task in Washington next month following a controversial decision by the internet search engine to launch a China-based version of its website that will censor results to avoid angering the country’s Communist government.
The decision by Chris Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey who chairs a House subcommittee on Human Rights, to call for a February 16 hearing to examine the operating procedures of US internet companies in China, represents the first signs of what could become a serious backlash against Google and other internet companies in Washington that are perceived as capitulating to the Chinese government.
Mr Smith on Wednesday accused Google of “collaborating .. with persecutors” who imprison and torture Chinese citizens “in the service of truth”.
“It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is ‘don’t be evil’ would enable evil by cooperating with China’s censorship policies just to make a buck,” he said.
The hearing will also include testimony from Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco and senior State Department officials who advise on China.
Mr Smith on Wednesday in a statement drew comparisons between Google and Radio Free Europe and Asia, reflecting on the capacity the radio stations had on empowering the “voices of freedom throughout Communist countries”.
News about the congressional hearing came just hours after another lawmaker, Democratic senator Patrick Leahy, spoke out on another issue that has enveloped Google in recent days: the company’s refusal to comply with a subpeona by the Justice Department that would require it to hand over toe the government extensive records about the way people use the company’s search engine.
In a letter to attorney general Alberto Gonzales, Mr Leahy demanded more information about four subpoenas to major internet companies, including how the DOJ intended to use the information while protecting privacy rights, and whether the DOJ planned to request further information from the companies.
Mr Leahy, the leading Democrat on the judiciary committee, said the collection of data on law-abiding Americans posed “unique concers”.
Huh?
We're selling our country out to these bas*ards, propping up a communist regime and I'm supposed to care if some chinaman can't look up "Dali" or "Taiwan" with Google?
Effem, effem all.
Google is pathetic, and does not live up to its stated goal (do no evil).
They won't assist in the anti-terror efforts of our own government...
...but they will assist in the totlaitarian efforts of China's government.
Is this really much different than the fairness doctorine or hate speech laws?
your wacky alrite
the best way to make their commie gummint be gone is for their people to get an unstoppable power.
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