Facebook is reportedly negotiating with Chinese partners to launch the social network in China, where it is currently blocked from use.
But expanding into China requires abiding by Chinese laws, which require web companies to censor everything from search results to status updates.
Though Facebook says it is dedicated to making the world a "more open and connected" place--a mission that clashes with the Chinese government's frequent crackdowns on Internet expression--a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that it is considering censoring the content that appears on its site in nations abroad.
While he did not mention China specifically, Facebook lobbyist Adam Conner told the Journal, "Maybe we will block content in some countries, but not others."
(Facebook's director of international communications noted only that the company was "studying and learning about China" but has so far "made no decisions about if, or how, we will approach it.")
Facebook has remained relatively mum on the use of the site by protestors in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond as a tool for organizing demonstrations.
Conner suggested that the company may be bringing "too much" freedom of expression in some nations.
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"We are occasionally held in uncomfortable positions because now we're allowing too much, maybe, free speech in countries that haven't experienced it before," Conner said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/facebook-free-speech-censorship_n_851499.html
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