【新唐人2012年1月30日訊】世界最大的社交網站之一推特，日前在博客網站發表聲明，宣佈已經改進網站技術，可根據不同國家的限制來屏蔽用戶言論。聲明引起包括艾未未等衆多推友的強烈抗議。輿論認為，推特是在走谷歌的老路，試圖進入中國市場而進行自我設限。
推特的聲明寫道，隨著公司在全球發展，推特將進軍一些對言論自由有不同解釋的國家。由於這些國家對言論自由的解釋與公司的理念出入很大，以至公司始終無法進入這些國家。
聲明還表示，推特目前已經擁有按不同國家要求單獨過濾用戶推文的技術，但目前還沒有啓用。但如果未來有國家要求推特過濾某一內容，推特將通知被屏蔽用戶，並計劃在「寒蟬效應」網站上分享由政府、企業以及個人所提出的刪除消息要求。
中國「權利運動博客」負責人胡軍表示，推特按照國別來對待網民的做法是嚴重歧視，不符合自由平等的普世價值和互聯網精神。
胡軍：「這有悖於他建立推特的宗旨。推特建立的宗旨就是爲了人們更好的自由的交流。」
推特作為去年「阿拉伯之春」的示威串聯和統籌平臺，立場的轉變，令許多維權人士失望，也遭到了網路用戶的強烈反對。很多推友表示將停用一天推特來抗議新的審查規定。
藝術家艾未未發出推文表示：「言論自由，沒得商量！推﹙特﹚若審查，我即罷推！」
埃及維權人士薩利姆在推特留言：「這是很壞的消息。可以說推特出賣了我們嗎?」
「無國界記者」總監巴西爾給推特執行主席傑克‧多爾西寫信，他表示，推特選擇與專制者一夥，是爲了打入中國市場。這個審查的決定將剝奪異見網民一個獲取資訊和統籌活動的重要工具。
湖北荊州民主人士宋翔峰：「任何外國公司的這些倡導言論自由的軟體進入中國的話，中共政權都不會允許他這麽開放的一個自由度。中共都會給他一個框框，會限制他，按照中共官方的意志來決定他的使用範圍。」
「漢堡大學」教授茵薩•斯烏特斯也認爲，推特很明顯是要向中國市場擴張，試圖從目前的1億用戶擴大到超過10億。
但廣州維權作家野渡表示，在中國使用推特的網民，主要是追求自由、真實信息的翻牆用戶，推特的審查將會失去這些用戶，包括他。
野渡：「（推特）對我們的最大意義就是它不是一個言論審查的工具，用戶在上面可以自由的發表言論。當它這個引以爲傲的工具失去作用的時候，那麽就很難獲得中國的用戶。如果他一定要用這種辦法來推行的話，他失去的比得到的會更加多。」
有網友認為，推特正在走谷歌的老路。當初谷歌進入大陸，並沒有預見到中共的審查制度對公司價值的衝擊。谷歌從最初放棄部分原則，默認中共當局對內容的限制，到2010年1月，拒絕進一步接受當局的審查要求，從而退出中國大陸市場。
德國《世界報》報導認爲，推特走谷歌的老路並非偶然。推特的法律顧問是亞歷山大•麥克吉裡弗雷，他曾幫助過谷歌適應中國市場。
新唐人記者常春，李明飛，孫寧採訪報導。
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Twitter Will Self-Censor, Ai Weiwei Will Stop Tweeting
One of the world’s largest social networking sites, Twitter,
recently stated in its blog the ability to censor content according to a user country’s restriction.
Activists, including Ai Weiwei, strongly protest Twitter’s
statement.
It is believed that Twitter is taking Google’s old path –
attempting to enter the Chinese market.
Twitter stated in its official blog that as it continues to
grow internationally,
Twitter “will enter countries that have different ideas about
the contours of freedom of expression.”
Some differ so much from Twitter’s ideas that Twitter “will
not be able to exist there.”
It is also stated that Twitter has “the ability to reactively
withhold content from users in a specific country” and
Twitter hasn’t “yet used this ability, but if and when
Twitter is required to withhold a Tweet in a specific country,”
Twitter “will attempt to let the user know,” through
“partnership with Chilling Effects to share this new page.”
Human Rights Campaign in China representative Hu Jun
indicated that Twitter discriminates users based on their
nationality and violates the universal values of freedom and
equality and spirit of the internet.
Hu Jun: “This is opposing Twitter’s mission, the mission for
open exchange of information and freedom of expression."
Twitter was believed to serve as a platform for the Arab
Spring last year.
Its changing position has disappointed many activists and
met with strong opposition from internet users.
Many Twitter users are going to protest Twitter’s new policy
by ceasing to use Twitter for a day.
Artist Ai Weiwei tweets: “There is no negotiation for freedom
of speech! If Twitter censors, I will stop tweeting!”
Egyptian activist Mahmoud Salem tweets, “This is very bad
news.” “Is it safe to say that (hash)Twitter is selling us out?”
In his letter to Twitter Executive Chairman Jack Dorsey,
Olivier Basille, director of Reporters without Borders,
suspected the decision was “motivated by the desire to
penetrate the Chinese market at all costs.”
He stated, “Twitter is depriving cyber dissidents in repressive
countries of a crucial tool for information and organization.”
Song Xiangfeng, a democracy activist from Jingzhou, Hubei
province: “Any foreign software that advocates freedom of expression will not be allowed by the communist regime.
The CCP will always limit the scope of the software
according to the regime’s desire. “
Professor Insa Sjurts of University of Hamburg believes,
“apparently, Twitter is expanding into the Chinese market.”
It plans to increase the number of active users significantly,
from the current 100 million to more than a billion users.
Ye Du, a writer and activist from Guangzhou indicated that
Twitter users in China are mainly internet users who have bypassed the firewall for freedom and true information exchange.
Twitter’s censor policy will end up losing these users,
including him.
Ye Du: “Twitter’s greatest significance for us is that
it is not a censorship tool, users can express freely.
When the once magical tool has lost its effectiveness,
it will be hard to maintain its users.
If it insists on this policy,
it will lose more than what it will gain.”
There are Internet users who believe that Twitter is going down
the old path of Google.
Google entered the mainland not being able to foresee the
impact of CCP’s censorship on the value of the company.
They went from giving up some of the principles by the initial
default content restrictions of the Chinese authorities,
to finally declining to accept the censorship request and
withdrawing from the Mainland Chinese market in January 2010.
“The World” (Die Welt) report believes it is no accident
Twitter is taking the same measures Google did.
Alexander Macgillivray, legal advisor of Twitter used to work
for Google when Google adapted to the Chinese market.
NTD reporters Chang Chun, Li Mingfei and Sun Ning