Internet giants such as Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google have agreed to sign up to a new set of guidelines that aim to limit the information they should share with authorities.

The Global Network Initiative guidelines were drawn up by Internet companies and several human rights groups, investors and academics. They should act as a framework for companies operating in countries where freedom of speech is heavily restricted, like China.

For now, the guidelines call for an oversight body to review their implementation, but possible sanctions have not yet been decided. The idea is to get Internet companies to think about freedom of speech issues before they start dealing in countries that restrict it. Basically, when signing up to these guidelines, Internet companies publicly sign up to more corporate social responsibility.

The problem is that most of these companies are already operating in countries like China and have joint venture with Chinese partners, over which they have no control whatsoever.

The most important aspect of this new initiative is that is it public. Internet companies are publicly adhering to more corporate social responsibility and to being reviewed. Remember that in 2004, Yahoo! handed over user information to Chinese authorities that led to the imprisonment of journalist Shi Tao, sentenced to 10 years. So, is this just a feel good initiative? It remains to be seen. Of course, proper implementation remains to be verified, but this is a step in the right direction. As Rebecca MacKinnon, a professor at Hong Kong University says, “what they (Internet companies) do to users in one country can impact how they’re seen globally.” 

Smile, you’re on camera

Then again, you can set up all the guidelines you want, censorship ultimately depends on local authorities on the ground. Two week ago, Chinese authorities announced new rules for Internet cafés. All cafés will have to photograph every visitor and scan their identity cards. These measures should be in place in the estimated 1500 internet cafés in Beijing by the end of the year. And this was announced on the day Chinese authorities decided to make permanent the Olympics-related foreign reporters rules.