Shareholder Activism
- Overview
- Companies Implicated
in Abuses
- Business standards in China
- Public pressure increases
- Shareholder activism
- Recent developments
- Take action
- Additional resources
Update from the Google Annual Shareholder Meeting
On May 11 AIUSA's Corporate Action Network (CAN) launched two new actions targeting Google and Microsoft, demanding that the internet giants stop aiding repression of free speech in China. Visit our internet censorship information page to can get the full story about what Google, Microsoft and other technology companies are doing in China and to take action today.
As the actions were traveling through cyberspace to reach
thousands of concerned internet users across the country
and the world, Tony Cruz, AIUSA's California CAN Coordinator,
was boarding a shuttle bus to head deep into the heart of
Google's corporate campus, where he would address the founders
of Google in person. At the meeting, Tony had the rare opportunity
to engage face-to-face with Google co-founders Sergey Brin
and Larry Page, in a rather heated exchange about internet
censorship in China. Listen to a webcast
of the event.
Fast forward to around minute 42, where Tony very eloquently
stated,
"I am here today using the proxy from the New York City Employees Retirement System, which holds about two hundred million dollars worth of Google stock. I am also here representing Amnesty International, the largest human rights organization in the world, with about 1.8 million members worldwide...
First let me say that we understand the significant potential of the Internet to promote human rights and we appreciate how Google can be a part of this positive impact. However, Amnesty is deeply concerned about Google's recent decision to actively censor its flagship search engine in China. Censoring search results for information on human rights or democracy makes Google a partner with one of the world's most repressive regimes, and it is a violation of freedom of expression and information, human rights guaranteed under international standards.
Every day, at Amnesty, we hear from concerned Google customers asking what search engine they can use that isn't abusing human rights. So, to sum it up, my two questions are this: What will Google do to win back customers who have switched to using search engines from companies that do not make what you've called "ugly compromises" with repressive regimes? And 2, Do you think that you should to develop and implement policies to assure your customers that you will no longer take steps that undermine human rights in pursuit of profit?"
Before responding, Sergey Brin tried to derail the discussion by badmouthing Yahoo, drawing attention to the fact that Yahoo has been censoring in China since the 1990's and "recently caused several journalists to go to prison there." Tony got the entire room laughing when he responded, "Believe me, we've got Yahoo lined up!" but then brought to subject back by stating firmly that he was there to talk about Google, not Yahoo.
Learn more about Yahoo in China and take action. »
In the end, Brin never addressed what the company would do to win back customers who have switched to other search engines, and did not discuss whether the company would implement a human rights policy. Instead they tried to take cover behind the fact that few Chinese are using Google.cn at this point, and that "uncensored" Google.com is still available in China. As Brin stated, "…we're not yet, in any significant form, providing any kind of censored results to the Chinese people, so I feel good about it." Though technically that may be true, the fact remains that Google.com is subject to the highly restrictive firewall set up by the Chinese Government, so calling it uncensored is a misnomer. Google may not be doing the censoring themselves, but by bending over backward to comply with censorship on Google.cn, they send a clear message to the Chinese Government and the Chinese people that they believe censorship is acceptable.
Associated Press was at the shareholder meeting to snap
a photo of Tony and reported on the event. Read
the story »
Tony's participation at Google's annual meeting
is just the start of our efforts to show this company that
the public is extremely concerned about these issues, and
that they need to start taking concrete steps to address
the problem. Our action
to Google clearly lays out several things they can do to
make a difference, and we need your help to ensure that
the company hears those demands. Circulate the action widely,
and contact us at corpaction@aiusa.org
for materials that you can use in your tabling events and
for ideas to help raise awareness at your school or in your
community.
Yahoo Stockholder Meeting
On May 25, 2006, Tony Cruz represented Amnesty at the Yahoo stockholder meeting where he had a chance to speak face-to-face with CEO Terry Semel and Founder Jerry Yang - you might recognize their names if you were one of the more than 20,000 activists that participated in our online action targeting Yahoo about internet censorship in China and the company's involvement in the imprisonment of journalist Shi Tao. If you haven't taken the action yet click here. »
At the meeting, Tony pointed out that Yahoo's business is dependent on MORE freedom of expression, not less. He then added, "At least two Chinese writers, who were Yahoo customers, have been imprisoned after Yahoo provided their account information to the Chinese police. Right here and right now will you call on the Chinese government to release Shi Tao, Li Zhi, and other innocent victims of China's online repression named by Amnesty International as Prisoners of Conscience?" He then held out a list of nearly 50 internet dissidents currently in jail in China who have been named Prisoners of Conscience, and offered it to Semel, who did not take the list.
After a lengthy but inadequate response about how Yahoo feels problems in China should be addressed, Tony politely but firmly reminded the executives that he still needed an answer to his question. When Yang responded, "We are going to do it in the way we think is most appropriate." Tony again asked if that was a "no" answer and Yang continued to evade a direct response.
There was great media coverage of Tony's participation in the meeting, including an article in Business Week and a local ABC news show which can be viewed online. (Note, click on the link to "VIDEO: Yahoo and eBay Align" in the blue box on the right.)
Yahoo also provided a webcast of the event on their Investor Relations webpage (Tony's remarks begin approximately 1 hour in.)
Microsoft Shareholder Meeting
On November 14, 2006, Larry Dohrs represented Amnesty at the Microsoft (MSFT) shareholder meeting. Dohrs posed a question to the top executives of the company, asking them, "why Microsoft did not support the Global Online Freedom Act of 2006, proposed legislation which would have empowered the U.S. government to help our company resist the censorship efforts of governmental authorities, and provide a set of ground rules for how we should operate in repressive regimes?"
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith delivered a prepared response, vaguely stating that the company supported diplomatic efforts between the US and Chinese governments and acknowledged that undue restriction on freedom of expression is a critical issue in many parts of the world. While the exchange was cordial, once again Microsoft missed an opportunity to make a public commitment to promote and respect human rights.
