However, industry specialists in the region believe that the portal was simply adhering to the everyday realities of doing business in China. But Paris-based Reporters sans Frontiéres believes Yahoo should have refused the Chinese authorities, citing its status as a US company that respects human rights.
Shi Tao was convicted for "leaking state secrets" after posting a Government order barring Chinese media from marking the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
But Asia Digital Marketing Association founding member David Ketchum said: "It's a hard fact of life that companies have to comply with the laws and regulations in the countries in which they do business. It's extremely im-portant that the privacy of online users is protected, but if you read the agreement, usually there is something about giving authorities access to the data. Users need to be generally aware that nothing they say can be guaranteed as 100 per cent secure."
