A discussion of internet censorship in China and what role the U.S. government should play in business relations between technology companies and the Chinese government. The House International Relations Comittee held a hearing on this issue with representatives from Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and Cisco Systems. In addition, Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) has proposed legislation that would prevent internet companies from placing servers in countries the State Department deems as repressive to human rights.

Discussion Questions

1. What do you know about the Chinese government? What do know about citizens' rights in China? Do you think that trade and other business relationships with repressive governments serves to nurture human rights in these countries? Why or why not?
2. Should the U.S government prevent internet companies from releasing information to countries like China that may lead to the arrest of dissidents?
3. How do you feel about companies such as Google complying with Chinese government regulations and censoring internet content in China? What are "hacktivists"?
4. How are they circumventing internet censorship in China? In what ways does internet technology blur the lines between the U.S. form of government and other forms of government?