This week, Yahoo! Chief Executive Jerry Yang testified in Washington DC before a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where he defended his company's role in the jailing of Chinese journalist Shi Tao: Yahoo Executives Defend Role in Arrest. Shi Tao was sent to jail for 10 years for engaging in pro-democracy efforts deemed subversive after Yahoo turned over information about his online activities requested by the communist government. So, Jerry and Co. are now taking the heat from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, who called Yahoo's actions "inexcusably negligent behavior at best, and deliberately deceptive behavior at worst." Yang contends that Yahoo "has been open and forthcoming with this committee at every step of this investigative process."
Now, in absolutely no way do I condone or support China's appalling human rights record. But it seems to me that the U.S. government hardly has a faultless record itself. If the roles were reversed, and the United States were the ones demanding user information from a foreign company, wouldn't they expect and demand full compliance? It seems awfully convenient to scapegoat Yahoo, branding the company as a friend of political oppression, and bringing the chief executive before a panel on Capitol Hill—a company head who just happens to be Asian American. Something tells me there wouldn't be nearly as much scrutiny if Yahoo's CEO was named Jeff Smith.... But that's just me. Hang in there, Jerry.
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