Human-rights lobby: Other companies should follow Google's lead in China

The reaction of human-rights lobbying groups to Google's announcement that it will stop censoring in China and thus may pull its operations out of the restrictive country? Generally, "it's about time."

From Amnesty International:

"Amnesty has consistently called on companies operating in China to stop collaborating with the Chinese authorities' censorship requirements, and to respect the right to freedom of expression for web users in China.

We've repeatedly urged Google and other companies to abide by their own stated business principles and provide unbiased, accurate and free access to information.

'It's very welcome news that Google appears to be moving back towards these principles. This now lays down the gauntlet to other Internet companies operating in China: to be transparent about what filtering and censorship the government requires them to do. And to stand up for free speech where they can, using legal appeals and other judicial measures"

Human Rights Watch also seized the opportunity to urge other companies to follow suit. Arvind Ganesan, director of Human Rights Watch's corporations and human rights program, said in a statement:

"A transnational attack on privacy is chilling, and Google's response sets a great example. At the same time, this incident underscores the need for governments and companies to develop policies that safeguard rights."

The group said that "Google's resolve to avoid complicity with such flagrant violations of freedom of expression and association deserves praise."

Press-freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, a longtime harsh critic of internet firms cooperating with Chinese authorities' censorship rules, responded in a statement:

“We can only welcome the courage shown by Google’s executives. A foreign IT company has finally accepted its responsibilities towards Chinese users and is standing up to the Chinese authorities, who keep clamping down more and more on the Internet.

In the face of repeated and increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks and humiliating treatment by the Chinese authorities, who accuse them of not doing enough to block sensitive information, Google has decided to take a tougher line and is setting its own conditions for continuing to operate in China.

We call on other IT companies to form a common front and we urge the Chinese authorities to reconsider their position. Google seems to have opened a breach – the cooperation of western companies in the control of news and information is no longer systematic.”

Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft have all come under fire from lawmakers before for acquiescing to China's censorship rules. In 2004, Yahoo turned over information about the e-mail account of a pro-democracy journalist when demanded to do so by Chinese authorities. Shi Tao was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2005 and settled with Yahoo for an undisclosed sum in 2007.

Follow the Google story developments at the Hillicon Valley blog:

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