Microsoft late Monday said a Chinese rule that personal computers sold in the country include Web filtering software raises issues of freedom of expression, privacy, and security which “need to be properly addressed.”

In a statement to AFP, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Microsoft believes that the availability of appropriate parental control tools is an important societal consideration for industry and governments around the world.

“At the same time, Microsoft is committed to helping advance the free flow of information and to encouraging transparency, deliberation and restraint with respect to Internet governance,” the US software giant said.

Earlier Monday, Ed Black, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), described the Chinese move as a “very unfortunate development.”

See also Bruce Einhorn’s piece from BusinessWeek and an article from the New York Times. See also Rebecca MacKinnon’s English summary of the original government order requiring filtering software.

© jleung for China Digital Times (CDT), 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: computer restrictions, computer security, Fag Binxing, GFW, Internet censorship, Internet regulation, keyword filtering, Microsoft
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Q. How did the State Department decision play out?
A. It’s dying down dramatically. I personally spent time in Washington, along with other key executives, to help educate a lot of the lawmakers. The issue isn’t associated with hardware at all. It’s associated with a common problem in the industry: the potential or ability for someone to put viruses in PC’s. We’re confident all our Lenovo computers don’t possess any backdoor surveillance equipment, spy chips or the like.

Q. What percentage of sales comes from China?
A. We’re upwards of a $14 billion company today; less than $4 billion in China, the rest outside. [Full Text]

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Read the rest of Lenovo Aims to Calm Fears Over Security – Mickey Meece (34 words)

© Michael Zhao for China Digital Times (CDT), 2006. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: computer restrictions, Lenovo
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China’s Commerce Ministry struck a more conciliatory note on Wednesday after saying a State Department decision to restrict the use of computers made by PC firm Lenovo Group Ltd. smacked of a Cold War mentality.

Assistant Commerce Minister Huang Hai said that although China understood the right of other countries to use their own rules to regulate trade, it wanted a level playing field.

“All that we want is a fair trading environment. What we particularly want is no double standards,” Huang told reporters at a government signing ceremony.

Also see “Lenovo decision attracts ‘cold war’ accusation” from the Financial Times (link)

© Mo Ming for China Digital Times (CDT), 2006. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: computer restrictions, Lenovo, trade conflict, U.S. trade
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