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Google: Don't be Evil!

Early in 2006 Google launched a self-censoring Chinese search engine, google.cn, that blocks search results for topics such as human rights, political reform, Tiananmen Square and Falun Gong, among others. Amnesty International is concerned about the ways Google is aiding the repression of freedom to information and expression in China, and the implications this may have for the way the company operates everywhere in the world.

Express your concern to:
Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Tel: (650) 253 0000
Fax:(650) 618 1499

You can also contact the Google Help Center with your complaint. Visit http://www.google.com/support/bin/request.py and select "I have a general question about Google." In the next menu, select "Reporting a problem," "Suggesting a new feature," or "Other." In your message express your concern about Google aiding human rights abuses in China, and request that Google 'feature' respect for universal freedoms everywhere they operate.

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Message Recipients

Eric Schmidt - Chairman and CEO, Google

Review the Message

Subject:*

Dear (recipient name),

I am alarmed that Google continues to contribute to abuses of freedom of expression and information online – restricting search results for topics including "human rights", "political reform", "Tiananmen Square" and "Falun Gong", thus denying users of google.cn the ability to access the full range of information available internationally on human rights topics.

While I appreciate the time Google has invested in the Global Network Initiative, the launch of the Initiative is just the beginning of a commitment to respect of human rights, and should not be used to defray concerns about lack of concrete progress on the ground.
 
Despite repeated calls by Amnesty International, Google has made little effort to use legal recourse to fight censorship demands and continues to proactively restrict access to information in China. As Amnesty has previously expressed, compliance with locally-mandated restrictions is not a justification for neglecting international human rights responsibilities, whether a company acts alone or with local partners.

I am again urging your company to take a more pro-active response to any requests or demands to censor protected content. In fact, nothing in the Global Network Initiative prevents Microsoft or other companies from going beyond the Initiative’s mandate in addressing inadequate policies and practices regarding the protection of human rights, and I encourage you to be a leader against censorship, not just in China, but around the world, as Google operates and expands into other markets with equally complex human rights environments.
 
Therefore I urge Google to:

•	Ensure that it takes all possible legitimate action to avoid complying with, and to challenge, government requests that violate or may have a negative impact on human rights
•	Be transparent about filtering processes used to limit or restrict search results, including informing users and disclosing which terms are being censored 
•	Provide access to independent monitoring and evaluation of its implementation of human rights principles. 
•	Support U.S. legislation, such as the Global Online Freedom Act, which would allow the US government to help companies stand up to repressive regimes in which they operate.
•	Publicly call on the Chinese Government to release Yang Tongyan, Huang Jinqiu, Shi Tao and all others detained for their peaceful and legitimate use of the Internet.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing of any progress your company makes in fulfilling these requests.

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