Yahoo! lambasted over Chinese Journo stitch up

Yahoo is getting some very unfavourable press at the moment, over claims that it helped the Chinese government bang up a Journalist who forwarded on an email that warned of "the dangers associated with dissidents returning to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre" - an alleged "State Secret". On top of this, human rights group Privacy International is calling for a boycott of Yahoo due to its reprehensible actions:

A human-rights group is calling for action over claims Yahoo is 'cheerfully sacrificing human rights in return for a cut of the Chinese market'

Privacy International (PI) has called on Internet users to boycott Yahoo over allegations that the Web giant provided information that helped Chinese officials convict a journalist accused of leaking state secrets.

Simon Davies, director of PI, described Yahoo's actions a "reprehensible" on Wednesday.

"This is a disreputable episode. Western companies are increasingly cutting deals with the Chinese government to serve their shareholders' interests at the expense of ethical governance," said Davies in a statement.

"A boycott would send a clear message to Yahoo shareholders and to other companies who cheerfully sacrifice human rights in return for a cut of the Chinese market," Davies added.

More from ZDNet.

Is Yahoo! in the wrong here? It was, after all, complying with the law of the land that it's operating in. Yes, we may feel that it was ethically wrong - but if you want to operate in China, you abide by Chinese Law. And if the authorities ask for details, you give them to them.

Are Yahoo the morally corrupt profiteers that they're being made out to be? Will you be boycotting them, as PI have asked? Let us know in our news forums - feel free to speak your mind. We won't shop you to the authorities!