Scoble and MacKinnon in discussion on Microsoft censoring MSN spaces (blogs) in China

This discussion relates on a larger level to the tension between doing business on the one hand and taking up a (moral) role of Western companies in China on the other.

The choice to increase economic relations with China was justified by the US administrations as a trojan horse way of bringing democracy to an authoritarian regime. However, it seems that, at least on the short term, certain very influential US companies doing direct business in the internet industry in China (think Google, Yahoo, Cisco, now Microsoft) is having the effect of effecting more censorship rather than more democracy. Big Business’ argument? Moral relativisim. We have no right to impose on others what ought to be (in this case, freedom of speech)

To sum the two arguments up:

Robert Scoble writes: “I have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS forcing the Chinese into a position they don’t believe in.”

MacKinnon writes: “But nobody’s asking Microsoft to force China to do anything. The issue is whether Microsoft should be collaborating with the Chinese regime as it builds an increasingly sophisticated system of Internet censorship and control.”