Olympics Committee Admits Internet Censorship Deal With China

Some International Olympic Committee officials cut a deal to let China block sensitive websites despite promises of unrestricted access, a senior IOC official admitted on Wednesday...

...China had committed to providing media with the same freedom to report on the Games as they enjoyed at previous Olympics, but journalists have this week complained of finding access to sites deemed sensitive to its communist leadership blocked.

"I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on website access during Games time," IOC press chief Kevan Gosper said, referring to Beijing's Olympic organizers.

"I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related," he said.

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Comments

[coyote4]

I promise to boycott ALL O lympic tm broadcasts and news.

I promise NOT to become involved in the endeavors of the athletes of my nation.

I promise NOT to purchase any good or service that is promoted with any sort of Olympic.tm connection.

I promise to do all these things until the Olympic.tm people stay true to the promises and agreements of freedom concerning C hina. Otherwise I will be convinced that the Olympic.tm brand is a lie and what it promotes is lies.

[LiberalBuzz]

I refuse to watch the Olympics this year no matter what.

That the IOC has sold itself for a lot of money is now more than ever evident.

Wonder how much their souls sold for?

One million apiece?

Two?

TEN?

Whatever the figure, it wasn't enough because their selling out to the Commies is beneath contempt.

Lying Sacks o Shiite.

[darthdarcy]

It's the Tribute to Tyranny Olympics..­!

[CaptainHowdy]

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[Amennyc]

We're all kissing the butts of the Chinese in one form or another.

[Amennyc]

Internet censorship­... something Huffpo can relate to.

[CaptainHowdy]

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[Hattie]

Will you boycott OBAMA, who has taken out $5,000,000 worth of Olympics commercial time ?

[coyote4]

No, but I will refuse to view any of those ads

[JiminNC]

Why worry about it. When their billions of people get ready to stand up for their rights, then I will develop concern. No need to rescue people that are not asking for rescue.

[CaptainHowdy]

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[Beowolf741]

It is a little hard to ask for what you want in tyrannical regime. Remember you couldn't get one Iraqi stuck in Iraq on camera to admit he/she had anything other than a worshipful devotion to Saddam.
They knew who would be knocking at the door next. Then when the Saddam statues were coming down, plenty of people(all men from what I could tell)who where jumping on his "head".
Some of them, I'd guess, have become part of the insurgency since then but that is another story
as is whether to invade Iraq in the first place.

[ibivi]

That's a whole lotta folks. We can't ignore them. Their regime is repressive. Look what happened when the parents of school children who were killed because of shoddy buildings tried to demonstrate and wanted answers. They were quieted with payments and arrested if they persisted. Also, the riot by people who were upset that the police wouldn't investigate the rape and murder of a girl. There are countless incidences of this kind of thing. I don't know what the IOC was thinking when they awarded the games to China. They made all kinds of promises and have kept none of them. Despite that, we can't ignore the Chinese people.

[Ranta]

www.asianpacificpost.com heralded the news in August 2003 that some 3,500 Chinese spy companies had been identified operating in Canada and the United States.
Canada Free Press

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover012605.htm

[Egalitare]

Are they hiring?

[BlueTongue]

Huffingtonpost Committee Admits Internet Censorship Deal with AP...

Hmmm... touchy subject.

[CaptainHowdy]

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[geobushono]

This page is intentionally blank

[NoahVail]

Just like shopping at Wal*Mart. Some items are just not available.

Count on them to export government control to wherever people will buy it.

[coyote4]

boycot W almart and the C hinese junk they sell

[breatheslowly]

China Girl- I love you long time.

[sassafra]

everyone that's surprised by this raise their hands. oh, ...no too many i see...

i'm giving the 1936 mark II olympiad a pass.

[loconavi]

IOC bans Iraq because of some BS reason, but allows China to censor the internet. Shame on them, I guess its money over so called morals. The only reason they did not support Iraqi team was probably because it was a money losing proposition. Go to hell IOC, this will be the least watch Olympics in history.

[CaptainHowdy]

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[Destin]

I thought that the whole point in awarding the games to Beijing, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it was to encourage a new openness in China and that the games wouldn't be awarded unless they met certain criteria, such as internet access without censorship??

[ibivi]

Ah yes, the IOC spin at work. We should still watch. It is largest window on China in a long time. We might learn something.

[chronic]

Boycott anything to do with the olympics.


Do not watch on television!!

[Ranta]

Agree. Olympic coverage always stinks. Who cares about all the "up close and personal" features. They don't even show much sports. The appeal is made for the type of person who only watches sports during the Olympics . The type of person who cares about how many medals the USA USA USA has won.
I'm a sports junkie but even with TIVO i'll sit it out as I have for the last 32 or so years. Give me the America's cup or Tour de France or World Cup . Any thing but jingoism.

[Mort]

"Olympic coverage always stinks."

I did security at the '02 Olympics. The night of the women's figure skating finals I was assigned to one of the broadcast equipment trailers. Got to watch the whole thing on direct feed with no commercials, breaks, announcing and spin. It's incredible how much goes on that we never see and how much hoopla there is over certain things. It was also wonderful to get close to the athletes. Many, like Derek Parra, are genuinely nice and add so much to the spirit of what the games should be about.

[CaptainHowdy]

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[tililek]

The IOC is only about money and politics and being able to do it on the back of athletes only provides them with more money. It's difficult to believe the members of the IOC give much concern to athletics at all.