A Big Tech company composed of more than 774 million members is reportedly tying up with Chinese Communists in line with the censorship of its content.
The Republican Party of Arizona tweeted about LinkedIn's censorship of Republicans out of its partnership with the Chinese Communist Party. The tweet included a link to an Axios report on Florida Senator Rick Scott questioning Microsoft-owned LinkedIn regarding its censorship on the profiles of U.S. journalists last week.
"Why are American Big Tech companies teaming up with the Communist Chinese government to censor journalists? Why is it only Republicans asking questions? #BigTechCensorship," the Republican Party of Arizona said on Friday.
Why are American Big Tech companies teaming up with the Communist Chinese government to censor journalists? Why is it only Republicans asking questions? #BigTechCensorshiphttps://t.co/JNKjQp2Ouq
"” Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) September 30, 2021
LinkedIn, who calls itself the "world's largest professional network," have notified a couple of American journalists that their account will be inaccessible in China for allegedly having "prohibited content." Some of those notified were Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian of Axios, Melissa Chan of VICE News, and Greg Bruno who is a freelance reporter. The common thread among the banned journalists involved their reporting on China's human rights abuses.
Axios explained that LinkedIn, which was founded in the living room of Reid Hoffman in 2002, is said to be one of the platforms that adhere to the Chinese Communist Party's demands for content censorship whenever it deems that its "views are subversive."
Besides the said journalists, LinkedIn has censored numerous profiles in recent months that belonged to government employees, researchers, and academics from across the globe.
Due to the censorship, Scott sent a letter addressed to Microsoft Corporation's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella who is based in Washingston state and LinkedIn Corporation Chief Executive Officer Ryan Roslansky who is based in California. Scott raised his deep concern on the censorship experienced by the American journalists since they have an important role in the reporting of vital information for the United States. Scott condemned the censorship and called it "an act of submission" to China.
"I am deeply concerned that an American company is actively censoring American journalists on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Members of the media report information that is critical to helping Americans, including members of Congress, understand the scope of Communist China's abuses, especially its abuses against and surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang," Scott said.
"The censorship of these journalists raises serious questions about Microsoft's intentions and its commitment to standing up against Communist China's horrific human rights abuses and repeated attacks against democracy," he stressed.
"These acts of censorship by your company, and the apparent broader Microsoft censorship policy of, 'offering a localized version of LinkedIn in China,' is gross appeasement and an act of submission to Communist China. LinkedIn's decisions only emboldens Communist China to continue their abuses against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang," he underscored.
Scott also expressed his disappointment on LinkedIn's history of censorship for the Chinese Communist Party, citing the account of New York-based human rights activist Zhou Fengsuo. He also cited Microsoft's censorship of journalists while "actively spreading misinformation" during the passing of the Georgia election security law in March. He also underscored Microsoft "openly suppressing those who try to expose Xi's authoritarian rule."
Scott demanded the two corporations to provide an explanation and clear answers regarding the censorship of the said accounts, requiring specifics as to what parts of the said accounts were "objectionable."
