Financial Times: Group to face human rights hearing
By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington
Published: January 26 2006 02:00
Google will be called to task in Washington next month following the decision by the internet search engine to launch a China-based version of its website that will censor results.
Chris Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey who chairs a House subcommittee on human rights, has called for a February 16 hearing to examine the operating procedures of US internet companies in China.
This represents the first sign of what could become a serious backlash against Google and other internet companies in Washington perceived as capitulating to the Chinese government....
***
News of the congressional hearing came hours after another lawmaker, Democratic senator Patrick Leahy, spoke out on another issue that has enveloped Google in recent days: the company's refusal to comply with a subpeona by the justice department that would require it to hand the government extensive records about the way people use the company's search engine.
In a letter to attorney general Alberto Gonzales, Mr Leahy demanded more information about four subpoenas to big internet companies, including how the justice department intended to use the information while protecting privacy rights, and whether it planned to request further information from the companies.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/fc86b1c2-8e11-11da-8fda-0000779e2340.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
