Censorship in China

	Google: Don't be Evil! Early in 2006 Google launced a self-censoring Chinese search engine, google.cn, that blocks search results for topics such as human rights, political reform, Tiananmen Square and Falun Gong, among others. Amnesty International is concerned about the ways Google is aiding the repression of freedom to information and expression in China, and the implications this may have for the way the company operates everywhere in the world. Act Now!
	Yahoo: Ensure what happened to Shi Tao never repeats! Call on Yahoo! to stop supporting the Chinese Government's denial of fundamental freedoms and use its influence to secure Shi Tao's release. See the video
	Microsoft: Don't assist human rights abuses! Amnesty International is concerned about the ways Microsoft may be aiding the repression of freedom to information and expression in China. According to recent reports, Microsoft's search engine blocks searges under key words such as "freedom", "democracy", "human rights", and "Falun Gong" and "demonstration", among others. Users of Microsoft Spaces are also prohibited from using these and other words on the weblogs they create. Act Now!
	Defend online freedom of expression in China Amnesty International is concerned that Chinese Internet service providing companies, including Baidu, Sina and Sohu, are complying with Chinese government requests and demands to censor content online and otherwise repress the rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Call on these companies to ensure the Internet fulfills its potential to empower and educate and to create global communities. Act Now!
	Please Support the Global Online Freedom Act, H.R. 275 Ask your Representative to support H.R. 275, the Global Online Freedom Act of 2007, which would prevent U.S. companies from carrying out or facilitating the suppression of online speech in repressive countries. Act Now!
	Be irrepressible! Sign the international pledge on Internet freedom and publish irrepressible fragments of censored material on your own blog or website.
	Free Shi Tao, Imprisoned for Emailing Information Overseas Shi Tao wrote for the Contemporary Trade News. Using his Yahoo! account, he emailed a US-based website, sharing the details of an internal government directive barring media reports that could fuel unrest during the 15th anniversary of Tiananmen. Shi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities." Disturbingly, Yahoo! provided information to the government for his prosecution. Act Now!

© David Rendell, Group 133

IDEAS FOR LOCAL ACTION

• Beijing Olympics Action: June-July 2008 Help Tear Down The Great Firewall of China
• Hold a protest or educational event to help raise awareness about the issues while encouraging people to sign petitions targeting Yahoo, Microsoft and Google. Use our report, fact sheet and petitions (Yahoo, Microsoft, Google).
• The documentary Tank Man, in particular Part 6: The Struggle to Control Information, provides an interesting context for discussing this issue, including showing attempted searches on Chinese websites for info about Tiananmen Sq. It also has some good footage of the companies participating in the Congressional hearings. It is available online for free, making it perfect for a screening at your house or school!
• Use our new STOP CENSORSHIP sticker!    -->
  Contact corpaction@aiusa.org to request stickers.
• Are you a college student? Are corporate human rights offenders recruiting on your campus? Learn how you can use recruitment fairs to raise awareness and take action.
• Are you a high school student?
  Download our High School Action Pack for ideas on raising awareness about internet censorship at your school.

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