Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) — Google Inc., which is opposing censorship around the world, is funding discussions about dissent as celebrities
including Oprah Winfrey and MTV founder Tom Freston attend Asia’s largest literary festival.
The five-day DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, in the Indian city known for its pink monuments and forts, has attracted some 100,000 people, organizers said, the most since it began. Politicians, bankers, Bollywood actors and students have been discus
sing everything from music to gardening.
“The core theme of this festival is freedom o
f expression, which is also a core value of Google,” said Paroma Chowdhury, a spokeswoman for the company in the city of Gurgaon. “We don’t try to influence the choice of panelists, but we obviously indicated the kinds of themes we would like to support.”
Google is sponsoring six sessions, including three on the theme of dissent and a panel on the Arab Spring. The company, owner of the world’s most popular Web search engine, has led online protests against a U.S. anti-piracy bill.
Categories: Asia, Education, India, Media and Culture