Reporters Without Borders Accuses Yahoo of Indirectly Helping to Jail Chinese Writers

Posted on February 9, 2006

Yahoo has been accused by Reporters Without Borders of providing information which led to the arrest of Chinese dissident writer Li Zhi. The organization wants Yahoo to release all the names of Internet writers it has given to Chinese authorities.

Yahoo spokeswoman Mary Osako insisted that in its dealings with China, the company "only responded with what we were legally compelled to provide, and nothing more". "We were rigorous in our procedures and made sure that only the required material was provided," she told the AFP news agency. But she added that: "The government of China is not required to inform service providers why they are seeking certain information, and typically does not do so." Reporters Without Borders said it was not acceptable for the firm to say it simply responded to requests from the authorities without knowing what the data would be used for. "This argument no longer holds water," the group said in a statement. "Yahoo certainly knew it was helping to arrest political dissidents and journalists, not just ordinary criminals."
The Chinese government enforces strict laws on internet use, blocking content it considers a threat, including references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and notable dissidents. But major international firms wanting to do business in China, the world's number two internet market, are coming under increasing pressure from rights groups not to conform to Beijing's conditions.

BBC News says Microsoft, Google and Cisco have also been accused of collaborating with China in censoring Internet writers.

Look for this to be a growing news story as major U.S companies seek to do business in China. Bill Gates says that it ultimately doesn't matter how restrictive China's laws are: that information wants to be free and the uncensored Internet will make it into Chinese homes eventually. But that's cold comfort for Chinese bloggers who are being thrown in jail after U.S. companies turn over their names to the Chinese police.