Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo have announced they have signed on as founding members of the Global Network Initiative—along with groups like HUman Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Human Rights First—in an effort to define a consistent set of principles on how the companies will do business in nations that restrict free speech and expression. The principles have been crafted over a period of almost two years, and come in the wake of all three companies enduring major criticism for their actions and policies in China and other countries which place severe limits on citizens’ online activities and speech. Yahoo, in particular, has been singled out for providing account information to Chinese authorities which has been used to jail pro-democracy bloggers and other activists.
Tag Archive: Andrew McLaughlin
Google’s New Blog Invites Comments
Google has started up a new corporate blog, but it’s one with a difference – this blog is opento comments from outsiders. Google already has several blogs, covering technical issues and also serving as conduits for giving information on corporate policy, but these have all been one-wayoutward traffic. The new blog deals with public policy. Its intention is to give insights into the company corporate thought processes to global policy makers. The audience for this blog are“legislators, ministers, governors, city councilmembers, regulators and the staffers who support them,” according to Andrew McLaughlin, Google’s director of public policy and governmentaffairs. It’s certainly brought immediate reaction, not all of it positive about Google’s policies. There has been criticism of the company’s data retention policy, itsco-operation with the Chinese government and it’s deal with Doubleclick. But the company welcomes that kind of dialogue. The blog’s aim is to “foster free expression, promoteeconomic growth, expand access to information, enable innovation and protect consumers,” McLaughlin said. The company says this is the first step to opening up all their blogs to two-wayinteraction.
