13 Aug 2002

Yahoo! Risks Abusing Human Rights in China
Human Rights Watch, New York, NY, USA
Self-description: "(New York, August 9, 2002) - Yahoo! Inc. risks complicity in rights abuses if it remains a signatory to China's 'Public Pledge on Self-discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry,' Human Rights Watch said today. [On 30 Jul 2002] Human Rights Watch sent a letter (hrw.org/press/2002/08/yahoo-ltr073002.htm) to Yahoo!'s CEO Terry Semel, to detail these concerns, but as of today has received no response. 'If it implements the pledge, Yahoo! will become an agent of Chinese law enforcement,' said Kenneth Roth, Executive Director. 'It will switch from being an information gateway to an information gatekeeper.' Signatories to the voluntary pledge agree to investigate all websites to which they provide links, block anything the Chinese government would consider 'harmful information,' [although the pledge does not define as to what constitutes 'harmful information.' - ed.] and report those sites to Chinese authorities. The government of the People's Republic of China systematically restricts public expression of oppositional views on such subjects as religion and politics. The Internet Society of China initiated the pledge this spring. Hundreds of its members, including Chinese companies, universities, and government offices, have signed on."
Site contents: Human Rights Watch Letter to Terry Semel (HRW document, Jul 30, 2002); Hu Jintao Visit: No Progress on Human Rights in China (HRW Press Release, Apr 29, 2002); China Tightens Internet Controls (HRW Press Release, Aug 1, 2001); Free Expression on the Internet (HRW document); Corporations and Human Rights (HRW document).
URL http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/08/yahoo080902.htm
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [not archived at the time of this review]
Link reported by: David P. Dillard (jwne@astro.ocis.temple.edu)
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