Senator Hawley to Zoom: “Pick A Side: American Principles and Free-Speech, or Short-Term Global Profits and Censorship”

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Zoom calling for the company to choose a side: American principles and free-speech, or short-term global profits and censorship. His letter comes after Zoom chose to close the accounts of prominent U.S.-based critics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for discussing the Tiananmen Square massacre, claiming the closures were necessary to “comply with local law.”

“These oppressive ‘local laws’ are what Party officials use to oppress more than a billion people, including more than one million Uighurs who have been forced into slavery. These ‘local laws’ are what China is using to crack down on protesters in Hong Kong who just want the basic liberties they were promised by international treaty.”
~ Senator Josh Hawley

To Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Senator Hawley continued, “Trading American values for Beijing profits never ends well. The Chinese Communist Party has a long history of inviting American companies into its borders, only to steal proprietary information and technology and then repurpose that data for its own use. When you censor for the Communist Chinese Party, you may think it benefits you, but the only one who will benefit in the long run is the Chinese Communist Party.”

Full letter is available here and below.


June 11, 2020

Eric Yuan
CEO
Zoom
55 Almaden Boulevard, 6th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113

Dear Mr. Yuan:

One would have thought that a supposedly American company whose claim to fame is serving a fast, virtually seamless video chat would value free speech. But your company appears to have chosen censorship instead. Are you trying to curry favor with the Chinese Communist Party? Reports are trickling in that, in the last few weeks, you have censored many different accounts for discussing the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent massacre.

Just as disturbing is your defense that you censored these conversations and suspended accounts to “comply with local law.” As I am sure you know, “local law” in China is extraordinarily oppressive. China’s so-called “Cyber Security Law” requires companies that do business in China to hand over information to Party officials immediately on demand. In the past few months, additional, even more intrusive, provisions have taken effect. They require companies doing business in China to use network equipment approved by the Chinese Communist Party–equipment that allows Party officials to decrypt and access all data. These oppressive “local laws” are what Party officials use to oppress more than a billion people, including more than one million Uighurs who have been forced into slavery. These “local laws” are what China is using to crack down on protesters in Hong Kong who just want the basic liberties they were promised by international treaty.

Your defense also rings hollow because you have been caught subjecting Zoom calls to those laws unnecessarily. In April, users and watchdog groups discovered that your company was routing communications through servers in China. That routing was entirely unnecessary because none of the participants on those calls were based in China. Yet you still routed calls through China, knowing that, under “local law,” Party officials could access every bit of those calls. Your actions so far suggest not an innocent desire to comply with “local law,” but a desire to curry favor with the Chinese Communist Party so you can better access that market.

Yours is not the first company to trade American values for potential profits in China. Google, in particular, has become infamous for its censorship—from designing two different censorship search engines and blocking terms critical of the Chinese Communist Party to its “errors” mistranslating terms to reframe criticisms of Beijing into praise for Beijing.

But trading American values for Beijing profits never ends well. The Chinese Communist Party has a long history of inviting American companies into its borders, only to steal proprietary information and technology and then repurpose that data for its own use. When you censor for the Communist Chinese Party, you may think it benefits you, but the only one who will benefit in the long run is the Chinese Communist Party.

One week ago today, I sent a letter to American companies like yours, asking them to put American principles and free nations around the world first. Apparently, you did notread that letter because you censored discussions about Tiananmen Square on the very same day. I reiterate today that it is time for you to pick a side: American principles and free-speech, or short-term global profits and censorship.

Sincerely,

Josh Hawley
United States Senator

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Columns

Can Ramaphosa and Trump Come to Terms?

Whether South Africa can quell the hostility emanating from Washington, without compromising on its national priorities, is a formidable test for a country

Maddened Europe

Viable prospects for peaceful settlement of conflict between Moscow and Kyiv exist, but Europe obsesses over threat of incursion onto European territory.

BOMBSHELL: DOGE Proves Democrats Guilty of Election Fraud!

As the old expression goes, “That didn’t take long!” Over...

Tariffs Will Make America Rich Again

The US won World War II because we could outproduce our enemies, Peter Navarro explained, and the American “arsenal of democracy” permitted the Allies to triumph.

America’s sport export

The popularity of baseball in Japan and Korea contrasts to a shrinking American audience where the average age of your MLB fan is a 57-year-old Caucasian man. 

News

Tesla Firebombing Suspect Hit With Federal Charges

The U.S. Dept of Justice has filed federal charges against a suspect in connection with a firebombing attack on a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado.

What to Expect From Trump’s Global Tariffs

Trump has dubbed April 2 “Liberation Day,” when he will unveil reciprocal tariffs to level the trading field between the United States and its 200 partners.

Voters Head to Polls in 3 Key Elections in Florida, Wisconsin: What to Watch For

On April 1, voters head to the polls for three races in Florida and Wisconsin, with substantial implications for the future beyond the current contests.

DNC, Schumer Sue Trump Over Order Targeting Illegal Immigrant Voting

DNC and two top U.S. lawmakers sued President Trump over a recent EO that aims to enforce the law against illegal immigrant voting and election dates.

Court Halts Trump Admin’s Move to Revoke Protected Status of Venezuelans

Federal judge in CA put a pause on the Trump admin’s plan to terminate TPS of 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, whose legal status was set to expire on April 7.

Hegseth: Men and Women in Combat Must Meet ‘Same, High Standard’

Today at the Department of Defense all combat roles are open to men and women BUT they must all meet the same, high standard, Def. Sec. Hegseth said.

Supreme Court Seems Sympathetic to Catholic Charity in Religious Rights Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on March 31 seemed inclined to side with a Wisconsin Catholic charity that argues that it should not have to pay unemployment tax.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central