links for 2006-02-15

• In Rare Briefing, China Defends Internet Controls - New York Times
  "Chinese authorities are determined to stop "harmful information" from spreading through the Internet, but the controls it places on Web sites and Internet service providers in mainland China do not differ much from those employed by the United States and
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch internet censorship freespeech humanrights)
• U.S. moves to fight Internet censorship - Boston.com
  "The State Department announced plans Tuesday to step up a campaign to combat efforts by foreign governments to restrict use of the Internet."
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch censorship freespeech humanrights internet)
• Israel21c: Iranian and Israeli break down the barriers
  "A friendship between two bloggers - an Israeli and an Iranian - is doing its part to combat the anti-Israel incitement and nuclear rumblings coming out of Teheran."
  (tags: globalvoices gv-press blogs iran israel)
• The Latest Threat to Mobile Carriers: The Internet - New York Times
  "This year's rollout of mid-priced cell phones that can make calls both over conventional mobile networks and over the Internet, using Wi-Fi wireless connections, will be good news for callers who want lower mobile phone bills."
  (tags: wifi FON wireless)
• Mao Aide Joins Battle Against China Censors - New York Times
  "A former secretary to Chairman Mao Zedong and a dozen other senior Chinese scholars and ex-officials have denounced the shutdown of an investigative weekly in a spreading battle over censorship."
  (tags: china censorship freespeech humanrights)
• Microsoft pushes InfoCard for secure online ID
  "The approach "essentially adds an identity layer to the Internet," said Microsoft's Turner, calling such a layer sorely needed in today's online world."
  (tags: identity microsoft)
• Internet Firms to Defend Policies
  "Yahoo Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. will go on Capitol Hill today to defend corporate policies for dealing with China that they say balance business interests with human-rights concerns."
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch censorship freespeech humanrights yahoo google microsoft)
• Ex-officials protest censorship by China - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune
  "A public letter issued by party elders, dated Feb. 2 but circulated to journalists in Beijing on Tuesday, appeared to add momentum to a campaign by a few outspoken editors against micro-management, personnel reshufflings and an ever-expanding blacklist o
  (tags: china censorship freespeech)
• American Companies and Net Censorship - Time for a Solution
  "But with a bit of sensitivity, creativity, and a willingness to put some time, money, and attention to the effort, there is a good deal that American Internet companies could do - and I would suggest, will do - (short of violating the law and pissing off
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch censorship freespeech yahoo microsoft google trust)
• Online Firms Facing Questions About Censoring Internet Searches in China - New York Times
  "Mr. Smith's legislation, called the Global Online Freedom Act, however, would render much of what the Internet companies are currently doing in China illegal."
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch internet censorship freespeech google microsoft yahoo GOFA)
• Townhall.com :: Blogs :: Capitol Report
  Video from the Congressional hearings on China censorship, etc.
  (tags: china chineseinternetresearch internet censorship microsoft cisco yahoo google freespeech)