Facebook will launch in China under Chinese rules

[Commentary] Despite its central role in the Arab revolts, Facebook now plans to launch in China under Chinese rules, just when Beijing is clamping down hard on political activity, including online.

Facebook lobbyist Adam Canner tested the waters on this notion, telling a Wall Street Journal reporter recently that "now we're allowing too much, maybe, free speech in countries that haven't experienced it before." He added, "Maybe we will block content in some countries, but not others." "Ask Facebook" may also become the answer to who wins the great standoff between the powerful open forces of the Internet versus Beijing, the most aggressive force on Earth trying to control information. Facebook will apparently try to operate in both open mode and censored mode, encouraging its users to post details about themselves while making these personal details available for the taking in countries like China. As popular as Facebook is, this is asking a lot of its friends.