Yahoo! caught again!

Thanks to Rebecca MacKinnon for the latest: Reporters Without Borders issued a statement that Yahoo! has been shown to be the cause of “dimeing” (informing on) another “enemy of the state” in China, to 8 years in prison.

According to Reporters Without Borders,

“It called on Yahoo! to supply a list of all cyberdissidents it has provided data on, beginning with 81 people in China whose release the wordwide press freedom organization is currently campaigning for….How many more cases are we going to find?”

Maybe we’ll find out on February 15, at the hearing “The Internet in China: A Tool for Freedom or Suppression?” of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations.

The hearings' Media Advisory says,

Many pro-business and pro-democracy observers argue that the expansion of the Internet and trade will result in increased freedom of expression and political openness in China. Yet, despite recognizing that the ability to communicate openly is essential to breaking down the walls of communism and repression, several of the top US internet companies have aided and complied with the Chinese Government's demand for censorship in order to enter the PRC market, in essence becoming a megaphone for communist propaganda and a tool for controlling public opinion.

Please email to support reasonable restraints on U.S. hi-tech companies trade behavior.