This recent editorial from a prominent paper took umbrage at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments on “internet freedom”:

Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US Congress approved the Patriot Act to grant its security agencies the right to search telephone and e-mail communications in the name of anti-terrorism. The move aroused a great deal of controversy far and wide.

US authorities have also taken measures, such as installing supervision software and imposing grave punishments, to curb internet child porn, a serious crime in the country.

The United States often gossips about other countries’ policies on administering the internet, but at the same time it takes similar measures to minimise the spread of illegal information. That shows that the United States takes a strict line with other countries, but not with itself.

In between the references to its right to censor material that breaches “public interests” and “cultural tradition”, this editorial from China’s People’s Daily, (aka the Chinese government) manages to land a punch on the US.

When it comes to paying lip service  to internet freedom, hypocrisy is not unique to the Chinese dictatorship or the US administration. Just ask Senator Conroy.