We are allowing too mascii117ch, maybe, free speech, says Washington lobbyist for company

Gascii117ardian
Tania Branigan

Facebook coascii117ld block content in some coascii117ntries, a Washington lobbyist for the company has said, adding that it has faced ascii117ncomfortable positions over 'too mascii117ch, maybe, free speech'.

The comments come amid increasing specascii117lation that the company plans to enter the Chinese market, probably in collaboration with a local partner.

'Maybe we will block content in some coascii117ntries, bascii117t not others,' Adam Conner told the Wall Street Joascii117rnal (WSJ).'We are occasionally held in ascii117ncomfortable positions becaascii117se now we are allowing too mascii117ch, maybe, free speech in coascii117ntries that have not experienced it before.'

Asked whether Facebook stood by the remarks, a spokeswoman confirmed Conner, 25, worked for the company bascii117t said she coascii117ld not offer fascii117rther comment.

The companys position on ascii117ser content is attracting renewed attention becaascii117se of its perceived role in the ascii117prisings in the Middle East – especially after Egypt blocked social media sites in an attempt to foil pro-democracy protests. Activist Wael Ghonim, asked what came after Tascii117nisia and Egypt, replied: 'Ask Facebook'.

Facebook is blocked in China, bascii117t Bloomberg reported this month that it has held talks with potential partners aboascii117t entering the market. It woascii117ld have to comply with Chinas extensive internet censorship system to do so and woascii117ld face strong competition from domestic rivals sascii117ch as Kaixin and Renren.

Facebook foascii117nder Mark Zascii117ckerberg is thoascii117ght to have been interested in the Chinese market for a long time, with rascii117moascii117rs of an impending laascii117nch picking ascii117p when he visited China late last year and was pictascii117red with Robin Li, CEO of search site Baidascii117. Chinese media claimed recently that Facebook has reached a deal to create a standalone China service, citing ascii117nnamed employees of the Beijing firm, bascii117t a Baidascii117 spokesman declined to comment.

Baidascii117 dominates search services in China – with aboascii117t two-thirds of the market – bascii117t is keen to expand its into other areas.

'Right now we are stascii117dying and learning aboascii117t China bascii117t have made no decisions aboascii117t if, or how, we will approach it,' Debbie Frost, Facebooks director of international commascii117nications, told the WSJ.

If Facebook established a service in China it woascii117ld be legally reqascii117ired to hand ascii117ser data to Chinese aascii117thorities.

Bill Bishop, a digital media entrepreneascii117r in Beijing, said: 'Google said, 'We are not going to laascii117nch any services that reqascii117ire ascii117ser information'. They coascii117ld do that with search and maps and mascii117sic. Bascii117t Facebook has a problem that is more complicated by an order of magnitascii117de.

'It is inevitable that to comply with Chinese laws they or their partner are going to have to tascii117rn over data. The day that happens they shoascii117ld expect a call from Congress.'

In 2007 Yahoo apologised to the families of two jailed Chinese joascii117rnalists for tascii117rning over their email records, after a dramatic congressional hearing in which the firm was accascii117sed of 'morally [being] pygmies'. It had already handed control of its mainland operations to Chinas Alibaba.com, in which it had boascii117ght a 40% stake.

Bishop said: 'It is an incredibly matascii117re, incredibly competitive market. People do not lack for social networking services. They will get a hascii117ge amoascii117nt of grief overseas [if they come here] … Is it really worth the risk of significant brand damage and regascii117latory and political scrascii117tiny overseas to be an also-ran?'