Firms snub Congressional briefing on China

Found on CNet News on Sunday, 29 January 2006
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Microsoft and Cisco have turned down an invite to attend a Feb. 1 Congressional briefing on freedom of speech and the Internet in China, according to a report from AFP News. Google and Yahoo have not yet given a final answer on whether they will attend, according to the report.

An investigation published Thursday by CNET News.com showed that Google's new China search engine not only censored criticisms of the Chinese government, but went further than similar services from Microsoft and Yahoo by targeting sites related to teen pregnancy, alcohol, dating and homosexuality.

The Internet "is contributing to Chinese political engagement" as "access to the outside world is preventing more censorship," Gates was quoted as saying in an article in The Times Online.

Censored Internet access is preventing censorship? I never thought about it that way; and when I do, it still doesn't make much sense.