Microsoft Amends Blog Shutdown Policies - Yahoo! News

Link: Microsoft Amends Blog Shutdown Policies - Yahoo! News. Freedom is relative; at least, according to the balance sheets at Microsoft and Google. Recently, I posted about the Google agreement to filter searches at the demand of the Chinese Government, and was critical of Google's weak rationale. Now, I have discovered that Microsoft has made similar pacts with China, by blocking access of Chinese citizens to blogs critical of the Government there. Excuse me, but free speech is not negotiable, and we, as lawyers, should make clear that, just because technology and the Internet give us the tools to regulate information, does not mean that we should become complicit in helping those who seek to stifle speech. Microsoft has taken to itself the decision-making power to filter information. Does this make it liable for the consequences? I am certain that the lawyers involved in the current litigation over whether Ebay is liable for fake merchandise sold using its technology, would be interested in this Microsoft stance. Ebay claims that it is a mere conduit, and not liable for the conduct of its sellers. When Microsoft begins to filter and censor the bloggers, does it lose the "innocent conduit" defense? Just wondering...