From Asia Times:
As China once again moves to tighten regulation of the Internet, a new force is forming in the West to address challenges to free expression and privacy faced by technology and communications companies doing business internationally. Faced with increasing criticism from global human-rights groups for bowing to Internet censorship in many countries – particularly in China – US-based Internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have finally joined forces with a diverse range of companies and organizations to define online privacy rights and freedom of expression.
On January 18, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and UK-based Vodafone formed an alliance with the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and other companies, academics, investors, technology leaders and rights organizations to produce a set of principles guiding company behavior when faced with laws, regulations and policies that threaten human rights. [Full Text]
