Yahoo! and Google help repress Chinese citizens?

From foot binding, to communism, to one-child policies…to internet regulation? Historically a country known for its strict adherence to traditions, cultural laws and respect for superiors, some Chinese are now speaking out against their repressive government via the Internet. According to Human Rights Watch, “the Chinese government retains its ability to arbitrarily restrict certain speech or punish people for holding and sharing their opinions.” In a country where the media adheres to restricted topics it can report on, the Internet provides an anonymous place for citizens to finally vocalize their opinions. Or so they thought.

Chinese citizens, such as Jiang Lijun, are being arrested for discussing political issues on the Internet. A Chinese Web site was even closed for running a public opinion poll about whether national leaders in China should be elected! Check out the story below.

This is completely shocking to me! In the U.S., blogging, and the Internet in general, is a powerful means of measuring the public opinions, and presidential candidates rely heavily on the Internet to relay information to the public, and to receive feedback from the public. It is revolutionary over here! Candidates create media campaigns specifically for the Internet, in order to target specific audiences through various sites. Some even propose that the Internet may make or break the decision of our next president. That is HUGE!

I am so fascinated that the exact same invention can cause polar opposite revolutions in different countries. For the U.S., blogging and freedom of expression in regards to the government are encouraged and even promoted by candidates, and government leaders even maintain their own blogs. In China, freedom of expression is severely restricted and is enforced by arresting those who decide to speak their mind about the government via the Internet.

Companies such as Google and Yahoo! have adjusted their search engines to incorporate the restrictions of the Chinese government. Yahoo! has adapted even more than Google in an effort to increase the use of their search engine in the country. So I ask you, are these search engines benefitting the Chinese by complying with their laws? Or are they restricting Chinese citizens even more?