(Clearwisdom.net) On February 15, 2006, U.S. Congress held a hearing regarding Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco aiding the Chinese communist regime's internet censorship.

Regarding Yahoo and other companies' arguments that they have to abide by local [Chinese] laws, Congressman Christopher Smith, chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, said: "If the secret police a half century ago asked where Anne Frank was hiding, would the correct answer be to hand over that information in order to comply with local laws? These are not victimless crimes. We must stand with the oppressed, not the oppressors."

Smith: Leading U.S. companies like Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft have compromised both the integrity of their product and their duties as responsible corporate citizens

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, the hearing was hosted by Congressman Christopher Smith. He stated: "... for the sake of market share and profits, leading U.S. companies like Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft have compromised both the integrity of their product and their duties as responsible corporate citizens. They have aided and abetted the Chinese regime to prop up both of these pillars, propagating the message of the dictatorship unabated and supporting the secret police in a myriad of ways, including surveillance and invasion of privacy, in order to effectuate the massive crackdown on its citizens."

Cisco Helped CCP Build Policenet

"Cisco has provided the Chinese government with the technology necessary to filter Internet content through its creation of Policenet, one of the tools the regime uses to control the Internet. Cisco holds 60 percent of the Chinese market for routers, switches, and other sophisticated networking gear, and its estimated revenue from China, according to Derek Bambauer of Legal Affairs, is estimated to be $500 million annually. Yet Cisco has also done little creative thinking to try to minimize the likelihood that its products will be used repressively, such as limiting eavesdropping abilities to specific computer addresses."

According to a report by Voice of America, Congressman Christopher Smith, chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, pointed out that the conduct of these American companies in China does not match the founding principles of the U.S.

Smith said: "Women and men are going to the gulag and being tortured as a direct result of information handed over to Chinese officials. When Yahoo was asked to explain its actions, Yahoo said that it must adhere to local laws in all countries where it operates. But my response to that is: if the secret police a half century ago asked where Anne Frank was hiding, would the correct answer be to hand over the information in order to comply with local laws? These are not victimless crimes. We must stand with the oppressed, not the oppressors."

Lantos: "Your abhorrent activities in China are a disgrace."

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, congressman Tom Lantos commented: "These captains of industry should have been developing new technologies to bypass the sickening censorship of government and repugnant barriers to the Internet. Instead, they enthusiastically volunteered for the Chinese censorship brigade."

As quoted by the AP, Mr. Lantos said: "Your abhorrent actions in China are a disgrace I simply do not understand how your corporate leadership sleeps at night."

Congressman Leach: "This makes you [Google] a functionary of the Chinese government,"

Google was also on Congressman Smith' list. According to the request of the Chinese Communist regime, Google has filtered sensitive words such as "democracy, China Human Rights and China Torture."

The BBC reported that U.S. Rep. Jim Leach said: "This makes you [Google] a functionary of the Chinese government."

Reporter Without Borders criticized Yahoo for providing costumers' account information to the Chinese Communist regime, which led to the arrest and sentencing of writer Tao Shi.

Regarding this incident, Democratic Rep. Lantos asked Yahoo if it had contacted family members of Tao Shi. A representative of Yahoo said that Yahoo condemned the treatment of Tao Shi. However, the company didn't contact Shi's family.

On Tuesday, the Department of State announced the establishment of a special task force, which will assist U.S. technology companies to protect cyber freedom of speech and expression in foreign countries, including China.