So the US gov is OK with going after private companies to stop Wikileaks

[rainbow4321]

Yet when asked by the Chinese government for US help in stopping Google images from showing high resolutions pics of Chinese "facilities include military installations, nuclear test sites, satellite launch sites, oil production facilities, power generating
plants and important government departments", the US response was "Google is a PRIVATE COMPANY" and there was little the US gov could do about it



http://wikileaks.ego-world.org/cable/2006/11/06BEIJING23571.html


(C) China wants the United States Government to take
action to get Google to reduce the resolution of the Google
Earth images of China's military, nuclear, space, energy and
other sensitive government agency installations in order to
deprive terrorists of potentially dangerous information, XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX told
the DCM on XXXXXXXXXXXX said the Beijing request was
based on possible "grave consequences" if terrorists exploit
the information to harm China. Google Earth is a private
company, the DCM reminded XXXXXXXXXXXX was noncommittal on
whether China would directly contact Google or the European
imagery providers and the other sources of high resolution
imagery on the Internet. Other countries have shared similar
concerns with China, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but he refused to divulge
country names. End Summary.

Google Earth High Resolution Images a Threat to China
--------------------------------------------- --------

¶2. (C) Google Earth is providing high resolution images of
sensitive Chinese facilities over the Internet, thereby
endangering PRC national security, XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX told
the DCM during a XXXXXXXXXXXX meeting. These facilities
include military installations, nuclear test sites, satellite
launch sites, oil production facilities, power generating
plants and important government departments. The resolution
is one meter for most of China, and is as fine as 0.6 meters
in Beijing and Shanghai, allowing anyone with Internet access
to view these facilities in great detail. Moreover, Google
Earth allows users to post information about specific
locations, XXXXXXXXXXXX continued, which means information about
important Chinese agencies and sensitive installations is
effectively being published on the Internet.



(C) The DCM told XXXXXXXXXXXX that he would report the request
to Washington, but noted that Google is a private company.
The DCM said he had no information to offer on what, if any,
role or response the United States Government might have to
the Chinese presentation. The DCM noted that the Chinese
points only asked for a reduction in the resolution and asked
if the Chinese sought any specific level. The DCM also asked
whether XXXXXXXXXXXX had contacted Google directly and, since
Google purchases the imagery as any individual or entity can,
whether China had contacted the satellite imagery providers

[notesdev]

1. What you are seeing

is a government that has behaved in a lawless fashion for so long, that it does not even perceive these limits where its own interests are concerned. Laws are only there to give them an excuse if they don't want to do something.

[villager]

2. Why not? It's the same government that's OK with being, essentially, a subsidiary of private

...companies, or an adjunct of them.

[rainbow4321]

3. Sounds like the US is damn lucky China doesn't offer WL

a server or two.