Excuses, excuses
Bob Boorstin, Google's director of corporate and policy communications has said the GOFA legislation could be "improved to avoid impeding the spread of technologies around the world that promote free expression." In other words, don't let free speech get in the way of our ad sales in China.
Boorstin reckons issues of censorship and free expression are best left to "international human rights accords and trade mechanisms," which certainly seem to have done a simply spiffing job so far. Not.
In 2007, Yahoo was lambasted by human rights activists for handing over personal information belonging to Chinese pro-democracy activists to local authorities.
In a statement, Yahoo said that, "While the goals set forth by the sponsors of GOFA are noble, the bill's scope could ultimately mean that companies will have to cease providing information services in a number of countries." The statement went on to say that Yahoo would "continue working with Congress as it addresses this legislation."
To fend off the bill Yahoo, Google, Microsoft have now formed the Global Network Initiative which the trio say is dedicated to protecting "freedom of expression" in information technology.
Although obviously not at the sacrifice of profits.
