Most technology companies that want to be active in China have to sign the â??Public Pledge of Self-Regulation & Professional Ethics for China Internet Industryâ?? which requires ISPâ??s to inspect and monitor national and international sites and block access to harmful content. In the case of China many companies are eager to take part in what promises to be a large and potentially profitable market. Therefore many companies are prepared to sign the Pledge to gain access to the Chinese market among the more notable signatories is the company Yahoo!.
A good example of this is Microsoft who has has shut the blog site of a well-known Chinese blogger who uses its MSN online service in China. The reason for shutting down the blog is that the blogger discussed a high-profile newspaper strike that broke out in China one week ago. Read more at New York Times “Microsoft Shuts Blog’s Site After Complaints by Beijing“