Skip Links

Network World

  • Social Web 
  • Email 
  • Close

(Comma separation for multiple addresses)
Your Message:

Microsoft, Google agree to NGO code of conduct

By Steven Schwankert , IDG News Service , 01/19/2007
  • Share/Email
  • Tweet This
  • Comment
  • Print

Microsoft, Google, and two other technology companies will develop a code of conduct with a coalition of nongovernmental organizations (NGO) to promote freedom of expression and privacy rights, they announced Friday.

The two companies along with Yahoo, and Vodafone Group said the new guidelines are the result of talks with Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.

Technology companies have come under fire for providing equipment or software that permits governments to censor information or monitor the online or offline activities of their citizens. For example, last year, Google's approach to the China market was criticized over its creation of a censored, local version of its search engine.

A Yahoo subsidiary was cited by human rights groups for working with Chinese police to identify political activists, who were ultimately arrested and prosecuted for posting anti-government opinions and information online.

The parties involved said that would a framework that would hold signatories accountable for their actions in the areas of freedom of expression and privacy rights.

The groups participating in development of the guidelines include: Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School; Business for Social Responsibility; Electronic Frontier Foundation; Human Rights Watch; and Reporters Without Borders.

  • Share/Email
  • Tweet This
  • Comment
  • Print

Partner Content

Blue Stripe Software

www.bluestripe.com/

Improving Application Performance Troubleshooting

Diagnosing why an application is slow is hard, at times taking days or weeks to isolate and resolve. This paper explains the challenges involved using current management tools, provides a 'wish list' for application management and analysis, and explains the need for an application system-wide approach that monitors entire applications, not components.

Download Whitepaper

Virtual Vigilance: Managing Application Performance in Virtual Environments

This paper highlights the impact of virtualization on application performance.  "Managing Application Performance in Virtual Environments" states: "Best-in-Class organizations are predominately taking actions around improving visibility across both physical and virtual systems, assessing the business impact of application performance and understanding interdependencies of applications in virtualized environments."

Download Whitepaper

Application Service Requests: The Missing Link for Pragmatic ITSM

Forrester Research analyst Glenn O'Donnell and BlueStripe co-founder Vic Nyman discuss a breakthrough approach to application problem management. Learn the new approach for ITSM problem management, which provides: Rapid isolation of application slow-downs to specific components for quick problem resolution, 24/7 monitoring for proactive notification of potential issues before end users are impacted and much more.

Register for Webcast

Comments (1)
Login
Forgot your account info?

Microsoft, Google agree to NGO code of conductBy Anonymous on January 20, 2007, 1:20 pmWow, this is the most awesome thing I've heard in quite a while. I hope this project works out really really good. And I hope they will be firm and hard on this,...

Reply | Read entire comment

View all comments

Add comment
Anonymous comments subject to approval. Register here for member benefits.
Have a NetworkWorld account? Log in here. Register now for a free account.

Videos

rssRss Feed