Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have vowed to defend free speech online. Will their joint initiative have any impact in Asia?

Rick Mulia Executive producer MSN Asia	Eugene Lau Regional general counsel Yahoo	Clothilde Le Coz Reporters without Borders	Dave Carini Managing director Maverick China Research
YES	YES	NO	NO
“Microsoft, and in particular MSN as its media brand, is proud to be a participant of the Global Network Initiative, an organisation that helps to protect and advance freedom of expression in the digital world. The organisation has particular significance in Asia where censorship and freedom of the press are contentious issues in many countries here. While the Initiative has been criticised by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International for not doing enough, I would argue that the initiative’s approach is a step in the right direction. This emphasis of a collaborative approach between business, human rights organisations, governments and academics suits the political and cultural nuances of many Asian countries. The use of the word ‘advance’ in many of the initiative’s principles could be taken as an admission of itself that we’re not starting from an ideal situation in many countries, but making moves towards a freer press and protecting privacy is better than no movement at all.”	“This initiative creates something that did not exist before — a clear roadmap for companies to handle demands from governments that interfere with international human rights standards regarding freedom of expression and privacy. Companies will have improved tools and collective strength when we enter new markets and when we encounted government abuses directly. It will also provide strength when we confront restrictive policies in certain markets, when we face government demands to limit freedom of expression or privacy, and for establishing a high level of transparency with users when required by governments to remove content or limit access to information and ideas and the circumstances where they may be required to disclose personal information. We recognise that company actions alone cannot guarantee that human rights are not violated. Governments have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that the human rights of their citizens are protected.”	“This is a first step showing that the firms do care about free speech, yet it is not a guarantee of it. Although we had taken part in this discussion, we decided not to endorse the measure for its conditions are not going far enough. Under these principles, another Shi Tao case is still possible. In that case, in 2005, a Chinese reporter was condemned to 10 years in prison for divulging state secrets abroad. The court verdict revealed that Yahoo had disclosed personal identifying information about him to the Chinese authorities after looking at his online profile. Today, the best option to prevent IT companies from being forced to collaborate with web censors in repressive countries is dependent upon individual governments’ legal frameworks because, without them, companies willing to resist governments’ requests that violate international freedom of speech standards will not be able to do so.”	“The Global Network Initiative will not do much to protect privacy and censorship in China. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others will sign on primarily to show international governments and human rights groups that they are resisting Chinese efforts to monitor private online communication. The initiative is not binding, and not even the relative safety of a collective alliance will give them the courage to risk their future in China. Beijing already plays favourites with domestic companies and will punish any company that openly defies it — especially over issues of privacy. Ultimately, China’s net users will prove to be the strongest force against censorship. Through their active and lively participation in online forums, chat rooms and blogs, they are steadily expanding the limits of Government tolerance. Most are generally satisfied with the gradual rate of progress and focus more on their new online freedoms than on the few remaining limits. Foreign companies will promote this cause better by continuing to bring the latest internet technologies and applications to China’s internet users.”