Randy: Google’s recent decision to censor Chinese users’ search results at the behest of the Chi-com government thugs raised the hackles of many. Now comes news that Orkut, a popular internet service owned by Google, is being used by Al-Qaeda sympathizers to rally support for Osama bin Laden and recruit terrorists.
“We know for sure that al-Qaeda is trying to recruit as many as possible from the Western societies, not people who look like Arabs,” says Rita Katz of the SITE Institute, a group that tracks terrorists’ online activities. “This is a good place to be if you want to recruit people like that.”
Free speech advocates say services like Orkut make free speech possible in oppressive countries and that will ultimately foster democracy.
Somehow it seems like the free speech door ought to swing both ways. If you expect to be able to use it, you must respect the same right for others.
Should Google censor Osama’s fan club?
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