Comment Re:Global Online Freedom Act of 2006 (Score 1) 267
There is an interesting quote attributed to Congressman Smith in this article:
"In addition, my bill would ensure that U.S. businesses are not put in the difficult position of complying with local laws, or forced to turn over personal information on their account users. It would achieve this by preventing companies from hosting email servers or search engines within Internet-Restricting Countries, or establishing any kind of presence in such countries that would make it liable to political censorship and require it to hand over personal information on its users."
I don't think Google, Yahoo! et al would appreciate not being allowed to host a search engine inside designated 'Internet-Restricting' countries such as the PRC. Given that such a clause in the bill would restrict the ability of such multi-nationals to do whatever they like, which is more or less the current situation, the bill will sink like a stone. The people that really hold the power in the U.S just simply won't allow it.
"In addition, my bill would ensure that U.S. businesses are not put in the difficult position of complying with local laws, or forced to turn over personal information on their account users. It would achieve this by preventing companies from hosting email servers or search engines within Internet-Restricting Countries, or establishing any kind of presence in such countries that would make it liable to political censorship and require it to hand over personal information on its users."
I don't think Google, Yahoo! et al would appreciate not being allowed to host a search engine inside designated 'Internet-Restricting' countries such as the PRC. Given that such a clause in the bill would restrict the ability of such multi-nationals to do whatever they like, which is more or less the current situation, the bill will sink like a stone. The people that really hold the power in the U.S just simply won't allow it.
