Yahoo Helps Chinese Gov't Track Journalist
Earlier I wrote about a potential improvement for the Chinese legal system, particularly its criminal law.
Before we get excited about it, here is a bit of cold water. Rebecca MacKinnon relays the news that, with the help from Yahoo China, the Chinese government was able to arrest a journalist looking into the government's dissident suppression policy.
MacKinnon further warns:
Human rights organizations, media organizations, and others who are seeking and receiving sensitive information via e-mail from people inside China have a responsibility to educate the e-mailers about the security dangers they face. People must be warned very clearly:I would add that it's not just Yahoo or Gmail. Considering how e-mails work in general, I would not treat any e-mail system as a secure means of relaying sensitive information.IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING IN TROUBLE, DO NOT USE YAHOO OR GMAIL, OR ANY OTHER SERVICE WHOSE PARENT COMPANY HAS A BUSINESS PRESENCE IN CHINA.