Google, Microsoft and Yahoo should be developing new technologies to bypass government sensors and barriers to the Internet; but instead, they agreed to guard the gates themselves.
Tom LantosRead
Let me start with Yahoo. As we meet today, a Chinese citizen who had the courage to speak his mind on the Internet is in prison because Yahoo chose to share his name and address with the Chinese Government.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the consequences of corporate decisions on individual freedoms and the importance of standing up for human rights.
Tom Lantos's quote reflects on the grave ethical implications surrounding the decisions of corporations like Yahoo, particularly when they choose compliance over moral duty. The imprisonment of a Chinese citizen for expressing his views online illustrates the severe risks faced by individuals in oppressive regimes, and it serves as a poignant reminder of the responsibility that companies bear in the protection of human rights.
Themes
CourageFreedomEthicsCorporate ResponsibilityHuman Rights
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on human rights, one might say, 'As Tom Lantos pointed out, the courage of individuals can be undermined by corporate actions.'
More from Tom Lantos
All quotes →Similar quotes
Demonstrate to the world there is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" than a U.S. Marine.
James MattisRead
Though violence is not lawful, when it is offered in self-defense or for the defense of the defenseless, it is an act of bravery far better than cowardly submission. The latter befits neither man nor woman. Under violence, there are many stages and varieties of bravery. Every man must judge this for himself. No other person can or has the right.
Mahatma GandhiRead
Fugitive slaves were rare then, and as a fugitive slave lecturer, I had the advantage of being the first one out.
Frederick DouglassRead
Our union represents a breaking away...represents sharing a power, represent questioning, represents a new force...however long it takes, we are geared for a struggle.
Cesar ChavezRead
In 1975, when my students were kidnapped by rebels, I was accused of hiding instead of trying to save them, and of not giving enough money for their ransom. I wasn't believed.
Jane GoodallRead
For immigrant women, fighting for some of the standard platforms of the women's movement may feel unthinkable when deportation is staring you in the face every day.
Pramila JayapalRead