Thursday, February 02, 2006
Microsoft, Model of Openness?
OK, let’s not get carried away, but this is really interesting watching all filtering madness unfold (unfilter?). First, MSN and Yahoo get nailed in the press because they turn over search logs to the feds. Then, Google gets skewered for actually behaving like a rich American corporation (ah, so much for my innocence). And now Microsoft (MICROSOFT!) is getting a tiny amount of positive sping for coming up with, at least on the surface, a filtering policy to use in China and other evil, censoriffic states (Hmmm…like this one? CIPA anyone?).
Anyway, according to Information Week, MS would “remove access to blog content only when it received a government-issued, legally binding notice indicating that the material violated local laws.” Of course there’s some question about how high of a bar that is (threatening note from local party official scrawled on an underling’s forehead?), but still it’s a start. Other stuff: They only block info in the country in question, they’d notify users why the content is unavailable, and they’d give you a free copy of Windows Vista just for playing (OK, I made that last part up).
I’m thinking if Google (or Yahoo 2001) had come up with this, there’d be dancing in the streets of Mountain View. But, sigh, it’s Microsoft and we already know they’re up to no good.
Coincidentally, in 15 short hours I’m doing a presentation on internet filtering and other 1st Amendment squashing for one of my library science classes. It’s supposed to be US-focused, but all this international intrigue is killing me and can’t keep my eye on the ball.
Anyway, according to Information Week, MS would “remove access to blog content only when it received a government-issued, legally binding notice indicating that the material violated local laws.” Of course there’s some question about how high of a bar that is (threatening note from local party official scrawled on an underling’s forehead?), but still it’s a start. Other stuff: They only block info in the country in question, they’d notify users why the content is unavailable, and they’d give you a free copy of Windows Vista just for playing (OK, I made that last part up).
I’m thinking if Google (or Yahoo 2001) had come up with this, there’d be dancing in the streets of Mountain View. But, sigh, it’s Microsoft and we already know they’re up to no good.
Coincidentally, in 15 short hours I’m doing a presentation on internet filtering and other 1st Amendment squashing for one of my library science classes. It’s supposed to be US-focused, but all this international intrigue is killing me and can’t keep my eye on the ball.
