I think our expectation of idealism from companies is to broad. I mean, it's great if companies take idealistic stances. But ultimately, I'm not even sure that it's FB's place to promote democratic ideals.
Freedom of expression, association, conscience & press are political freedoms at the centre of liberal-democratic ideologies and governing systems. China is not a liberal democracy, in theory or practice. There are treaties which define these freedoms as "human rights" but I think China is a nonsignator to them.
I do believe these freedoms should be protected for everyone. But in calling for them in non-democracies, one is pretty much calling for revolution. It's reasonable for us as individual democrats (or adherents to other ideologies which believe in these freedoms) to call for these rights to be honoured in china. It's kind of wierd expecting Facebook to.
The actual lib-dem regimes (US, EU, Japan etc.) are not refusing to do business in China until they honour these freedoms.
TLDR: Expecting FB to champion the cause of liberal democratic reform in China is too much to expect.
Perhaps the government's view is that articles 51-54 (on limitations of political rights) justify the very extensive restrictions that the government has put on these rights in practice.
Once a tool is built, humans find more uses for it beyond its original purpose. It doesn't matter if it was meant for another problem or region. Anti-terrorism laws, surplus military equipment, censorware for China...
Freedom of expression, association, conscience & press are political freedoms at the centre of liberal-democratic ideologies and governing systems. China is not a liberal democracy, in theory or practice. There are treaties which define these freedoms as "human rights" but I think China is a nonsignator to them.
I do believe these freedoms should be protected for everyone. But in calling for them in non-democracies, one is pretty much calling for revolution. It's reasonable for us as individual democrats (or adherents to other ideologies which believe in these freedoms) to call for these rights to be honoured in china. It's kind of wierd expecting Facebook to.
The actual lib-dem regimes (US, EU, Japan etc.) are not refusing to do business in China until they honour these freedoms.
TLDR: Expecting FB to champion the cause of liberal democratic reform in China is too much to expect.