Internet firms agree to ‘code of conduct’ in China

Just days before the Olympic torch will reach Beijing, Internet leaders Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft say they are close to an agreement on a code of conduct for doing business in China and other countries that censor the Internet.Sen. Dick Durbin on Monday released separate letters from the companies, stating they have “reached agreement on the core components of the principles” of the code, as Google put it.Those components, the letters say, include principles for promoting freedom of expression and privacy, implementation guidelines, and an accountability framework. The specifics of the code are now being reviewed by the individual organizations involved. Google said the companies are working toward “a set of clear and rigorous principles, such that restrictive governments would be unable to ignore or reject these best practices on freedom of expression and the protection of individual privacy.””This code of conduct would be one important step toward our shared goals of promoting freedom of expression and protecting the privacy of Internet users around the world,” Durbin said in a press release. Image source : cnet. com> Continue.

News selected by Covalence | Country: china | Company: Yahoo, Google, Microsoft | Source: cnet.com