Ross La Jeunesse and William Echikson
In parallel, Google is also working to establish the connection between economic growth and the free flow of information. Information, after all, is the currency of the Internet. Access to information via the web has transformed traditional commerce, created an astounding array of new economic opportunities, and expanded international trade. We would argue, then, that when a government blocks Internet service, it is tantamount to a customs official stopping goods at the border. One concrete thing we’ve done to advance Internet freedom, then, is to encourage the U.S. and other countries to change their approach to trade agreements, to recognize that censorship can act as a trade barrier and, indeed, that it violates basic free trade principles. We believe there is an opportunity for governments to align trade policy with the 21st century economy and to promote the many trade benefits that come from an open Internet. Three years ago, Google joined negotiations with Microsoft, Yahoo, human rights groups and others in the United States to see if we could arrive at a code of conduct for how technology companies operating in repressive regimes could best operate to promote freedom of expression and protect the privacy of users. The result, called the Global Network Initiative, is by no means a silver bullet, but it has taken concrete steps forward. It holds companies accountable for their commitments to protect their users and maximizes the power of its membership to effect change and prevent backsliding. Yet so far, no European company has signed up. That isn’t to say there isn’t recognition of the importance of the issue from within Europe. For instance: • Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has promoted the free expression religion. In a recent speech he proclaimed “when you set people free you set the conditions for society and the economy to develop”. Bildt’s conclusion was simple: “the most important instrument of change in our time is the Internet.” • Speaking in Shanghai, the European Commissioner Neelie Kroes has decried Chinese censorship as a trade barrier. And back in Brussels, she called on the European Commission to finance technologies that can
126