GOP Calls For Google/China Hearings While Dems Demand Kid Porn Protection

Chris Smith (R-NJ) and chair of the House Subcommittee on Human Rights is calling for congressional hearings to look into the operations of US internet companies in China.

Here's the Financial Times write-up:

Mr Smith accused Google yesterday of "collaborating . . . with persecutors" who imprisoned and tortured Chinese citizens "in the service of truth".

"It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is 'don't be evil' would enable evil by co-operating with China's censorship policies just to make a buck," he said.

The hearing will also include testimony from Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco and senior State Department officials who advise on China.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Smith drew comparisons between Google and Radio Free Europe and Asia, reflecting on the capacity the radio stations had to empower the "voices of freedom throughout Communist countries".

Meanwhile, the Dems are concerned not about human rights, but that Google may be getting unfair treatment for its commitment to covering up for child pornographers. Again from FT:

In a letter to attorney general Alberto Gonzales, (Sen. Patrick) Leahy demanded more information about four subpoenas to big internet companies, including how the justice department intended to use the information while protecting privacy rights, and whether it planned to request further information from the companies.

The subpoena does not request information on specific people's use of the Internet to access child pornography sites, just information about search parameters and search processing.

Leahy, then, is not even concerned about violations of individual privacy. He is only concerned that the government might actually bust more child pornographers.

GOP = human rights. DNC = pornographers' rights. Could the divide be any more apparent?