For 12 months in 2008 Amnesty International Australia took to the streets calling for an end to internet censorship in China. A big ask, I know. We never imagined this would happen in one year but we knew that applying pressure to the big internet service providers (ISPs) would have an impact.

It has. Google refused to continue their role in China’s Great Firewall which sees websites blocked, emails monitored by Government, search terms banned and people jailed in harsh conditions, often without a fair trial, for lengthy periods.

Google pulling out of China does not mean real or virtual freedom, blogs on Tibet, you tube videos supporting Rebiya Kadeer and general internet café chaos. What it does mean is a step in the right direction for corporate social responsibility. The move places more pressure on Yahoo! and Microsoft to take similar stands. The ongoing coverage of this issue has made millions around the world aware of the human rights abuses occurring in China every day. There are still Chinese ISPs complying with Chinese Government requests to censor. These companies definitely have the market share - but slowly as companies like Google take a stance against censorship, the great firewall may crumble and people will not feel so threatened to express themselves online.

Thanks to everyone who joined our firewalls around the country, who took our actions online - who helped pressure Google and call for the release of those individuals imprisoned for exercising their human right to freedom of expression.

Read more on human rights and censorship in China