October 29, 2008 by Matt Thomas
In a period where Microsoft is spending a lot of its time aggressively trying to buy, undermine or sabotage Yahoo and Google, it seems strange that there is anybody at either company willing to take a call from the computer giant. Somebody must have though, because the top three search engine operators have just announced a joint set of principles for doing business with nations where free speech is restricted, like China or North Korea.
The agreement is designed to rebut accusations that they enable censorship by working with these governments. The basic tenets include a promise to protect the personal information of users and a commitment to careful scrutiny of countries’ track records when it comes to freedom of expression and personal information, taking any issues they have to their respective executives and boards. If a country is found seriously wanting in these respects they may not launch businesses there.
The guidelines seem fairly vague at first glance though they were written in conjunction with Nonprofits including Human Rights First and the Committee to Protect Journalists, amongst others. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have also agreed to have their compliance monitored by independent parties.
Before we pat the SEO giants on the back too much it’s worth noting that the World Organization for Human Rights is decidedly unconvinced, claiming, “More serious questions have to be asked about these company’s legal obligations.” Essentially, they would like the question of whether going along with certain governments requests violates US or international law, addressed.
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