Microsoft’s MSN Spaces has revamped its Blog Censorship Policy. Microsoft has announced a new policy framework concerning the removal of blogs from its MSN Spaces services when requested to do so by a government.


Microsoft’s MSN Spaces has revamped its Blog Censorship Policy. Microsoft has announced a new policy framework concerning the removal of blogs from its MSN Spaces services when requested to do so by a government.

Microsoft’s senior VP and general counsel Brad Smith announced an updated policy the company will follow regarding blogs and government restrictions. The main points of its updated policy framework include:

“1. Explicit standards for protecting content access: Microsoft will remove access to blog content only when it receives a legally binding notice from the government indicating that the material violates local laws, or if the content violates MSN’s terms of use.

2. Maintaining global access: Microsoft will remove access to content only in the country issuing the order. When blog content is blocked due to restrictions based on local laws, the rest of the world will continue to have access. This is a new capability Microsoft is implementing in the MSN Spaces infrastructure.

3. Transparent user notification: When local laws require the company to block access to certain content, Microsoft will ensure that users know why that content was blocked, by notifying them that access has been limited due to a government restriction”. [source]

Microsoft defended its action in China by telling journalists that the Chinese law required it to remove the blog upon receiving a legal government notice. “Obviously what we are trying to do with the kinds of principles we articulated today is … obey the law in the countries in which we do business but also pay appropriate respect to the needs of our users, both those who put information up on a blog and those who want to read that information around the world,” Smith said. According to him it is better to provide the technology to countries such as China than to withhold it…Internet isolationism is not an option. [Source]

 

 

 

 

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