Chinese Blogs Censored on MSN Spaces

Monday, 13 June 2005

Chinese Blogs Censored on MSN Spaces

I haven't posted in a while about issues of freedom of expression with respect to blogs, but I just came across this article. I thought is was worth disseminating. The Financial Times reports that Microsoft has created a joint venture with the Shanghai Alliance Investment (Sail), an investment fund of the Shanghai city government to offer its blogging platform MSN Spaces in China, a hosted blogging platform. MSN Spaces is run directly by the joint venture, Shanghai MSN Network Communications Technology, of which Microsoft own a 50 per cent share.

It will be impossible to write the following words on MSN Spaces in China: democracy, freedom, demonstration, democratic movement or Taiwan independence, for instance. Click here to read the full article.

Here are what people are saying about this in the blogosphere. Read D. Weinberger's post, with links to other blogs and interesting debate with Microsoft's most famous blogger, Robert Scoble. For a constantly updated list of blogs which are "tagged" Microsoft and China, click here.

posted by: howard at 10:22 | link | comments (9) |
blogosphere, international
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Comments:

#1 22 June 2005 - 19:11

wow.
thanks for sharing.

i was fired over my last motime blog you know. ha!

#2 22 June 2005 - 22:02

really??!!??

howard

#3 25 June 2005 - 10:39

Scoble admits that he was wrong!

howard

#4 29 June 2005 - 14:23

yes, really!

#5 02 July 2005 - 15:40

In china,there's no words fly.That is true.

fxlc02

#6 02 July 2005 - 17:47

no,I think it is not true,I am chinese,it is impossible,we are free to talk about anythings about politics,the minister's private life and some bad words.

don't worry, you don't need change any words.If you kown chinese,you can see chinese bolg,we have lots words and pictures scold government.

just fun,don't care.

vivian

#7 02 July 2005 - 23:20

hey vivian, that is great to hear. But I don't those free speech blogs are on the Microsoft site, MSN Spaces. Do you know of any?

howard

#8 16 July 2005 - 01:38

It is true. actually Chinese government first blocked blogspot, then blogsome, etc etc. And i did hear someone's blog on MSN Spaces had been blocked, because of some "improper words". Freedom of speech, no such thing here.

H2O

#9 22 August 2005 - 06:08

I see a lot of blogs that are critical of the government and even break laws that seem to go uncensored. My blog is China Friendly but, often times not kind to the administration.
I think Mirosoft made a HUGE mistake in aiding repression. Sure, Bill Gates makes his money globally but, at the cost of freedom of expression???