Google Could Be Fined For Cooperating With The Chinese
Search Engine Land discusses plans in Congress to penalize U.S. companies who cooperate with illegal government spying of civilians in other countries or collect information for internet censorship programs. The efforts, if successful, would lead to a $2 million fine, a symbolic but toothless gesture that comes with a lot of controversy.
I’ve always tried to side against companies that do business with the Chinese government and assist in that government’s censorship efforts, but I’ve also largely argued that they are completely allowed to do what they do. I don’t know of any U.S. law that specifically forbids assisting government spying and censorship in other countries, and I suspect such a law could never be both passed and enforced.
Worse off, they specifically would like to fine companies “if they cooperate with the technological surveillance of political dissidents”, something tech companies are being forced to do, in this country, by the United States government! The hypocrisy of a Congress that would fine a company for assisting the Chinese, but turns a blind eye to domestic spying that would break the same law if it were simply applied in the opposite direction!
I wish those lawmakers luck in passing their toothless, hypocritical, unconstitutional, undiplomatic law. They’ll need it.
Good call on the hypocrisy! Someone needs to tell them that.
Comment by Libran Lover | October 30, 2007