Quotes by Rebecca MacKinnon

“Microsoft, Yahoo and others are helping to institutionalize and legitimize the integration of censorship into the global IT business model.”

“However, it seems that is never going to happen. So if people are going to filter, I want them to be open and transparent with their users about what they are filtering and why.”

“Nobody is one asking Western companies to go and lobby the Chinese government to change its behavior. Thats not possible. But what we are asking companies to do is change the way in which they respond to Chinese government behavior and the way in which they interact with it, and that they can control.”

“One day, people in China may be able to see the records of conversations between multinational tech companies and the Chinese authorities.”

“What were the exact terms of the deals? Who made them? In what context did these conversations take place? I expect the revelations wont be too flattering for the companies concerned.”

“Bottom line is, its good theyre in China. . . . But theres a lot more they can do when it comes to thinking through the human rights implications of their business practices. If high-tech companies are serious about doing the right thing, they can join together and lobby for more transparency and accountability in the way in which Chinese officialdom deals with Internet services.”

“I must say I am not without sympathy for some of these executives, who find themselves in this position. It sounds like there are a lot of heated arguments going on in that [Microsoft] company.”

“Ultimately, if youre not behaving ethically, especially when it comes to information technology, especially when it comes to dictators, you are helping shape a world in which dictatorships are stronger.”

In modern politics, even the leader of the free world needs help from the sultan of Facebookistan.

There is clearly a constituency that appreciates the message that Google is sending, that it finds the Chinese governments attitude to the Internet and censorship unacceptable.

There is respect for law, and then there is complicity in lawlessness.

We must all rise to the challenge to demonstrate that security and prosperity in the Internet age are not only compatible with liberty, they ultimately depend on it.

Whether or not Americans supported George W. Bush, they could not avoid learning about Abu Ghraib.

The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power.

Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power.

Over time, if you want rights, you have to also show that you can use them responsibly and that you can build a positive world in the online space, and thats also very important.

Every year in China, Internet executives are officially rewarded for their patriotism.

It becomes dangerous for somebody who doesnt want their boss to know their sexual preference to use online networks to push for laws supporting gay marriage or same-sex partner rights if they cant do so with a pseudonym.

Public trust in both government and corporations is low, and deservedly so.

The potential for the abuse of power through digital networks - upon which we the people now depend for nearly everything, including our politics - is one of the most insidious threats to democracy in the Internet age.