Skype [part of eBay] has admitted that its partner in China has filtered text messages, but claims that compliance with local censorship laws is a necessary evil if it is to continue operating in the world's most populous country. Niklas Zennström, chief executive of the Internet telephony company told the Financial Times that its Chinese partner, Tom Online, had censored messages including words and names such as Dalai Lama... He said that obeying laws in China is no different to obeying them any where else and that at no stage are the privacy or security of users compromised... However, it is somewhat ironic that the company that has done so much to make speech free, is happy to go along with laws that curtail free speech. [also refers to Google, Microsoft, Yahoo]