ESPN and Censorship

Over the next couple of days, I will be writing a couple of blogs about Internet censorship. It has taken the foreground lately and it is an important subject. Today's subject is ESPN, which is one of the last places you would think that censorship would be in issue.

If you watched the Super Bowl or any sports television shows since then, you have probably seen ads for ESPN's new branded cell phone and service. Besides being a phone (that is not enough any more), the phone gives you access to scores, film clips from your favorite ESPN TV show and other sports information while you are away from home. In addition you can send text messages, receive e-mail's and browse the web.

Now that last item is where the rub comes in. If your interest in sports extends beyond just ESPN, you may be out of luck . According to Walter Mossberg, a senior statesman among gadget gurus, ESPN has crippled the phone's Web browser by blocking access to some sites. In the review that appeared on the web and in the Wall Street Journal, Mossberg writes, "When I tried to go to several sites, including those of competitors like Sports Illustrated, I got a screen that said ESPN only allows you to go to 'reviewed' sites it believes 'work well on your ESPN phone. That's an outrageous level of control, in my view"

According to Mossberg, a user can get around this iron fist by doing a Google search in the Web browser and then clicking on one of the links in the search. Oh and by the way, on a lesser note, if you try to the instant-messaging and email features, you will get a screen that says "coming soon."

ESPN concedes that it allows users to access only those Web sites it has approved, but says this is a temporary measure designed to protect its software from the "corruption" that it says can be introduced if users download programs from certain sites. The company says the restriction on visiting unapproved sites will be lifted later this year, though the phone will still prevent the download of unapproved software.

I think ESPN deserves a 15 yard penalty for interference!

FYI: The Mobile ESPN service costs between $34.99 and $224.99 a month for a two-year contract, depending on how many minutes of talk time you choose to buy.

My next blog will discuss a more serious instance of censorship...how some of America's most powerful technology companies are helping China censor the web.