Answering to criticisms related to its subservient behavior in China Yahoo! seems to be saying “I’ll do it, if Mickey does it first”. Microsoft, that is…
» Yahoo Wants Collective Action Against Chinese Web Regulations : Search Engine Journal
Yahoo’s basic dilemma is this. They are required to follow the law of the land in which they operate or leave. Leaving is, of course, not an option, especially with direct rivals Google and MSN competing their way into the Chinese space. Yahoo is not going to make sacrifices on its own unless every other player agrees to make similar sacrifices. That seems natural. Would you want to be on the management team explaining to shareholders the details of a sudden, unilateral exit from the fastest growing market in the world?Yahoo appears to be taking a moral stand, one that is a long time in coming. It will be very interesting to hear their Congressional testimony on Wednesday February 15. It will also be interesting to see if other western businesses who profess to value freedom of speech and freedom of information heed Yahoo’s call for collective action.