There is a Chinese equivalent to George Carlin's "seven words you can't say on television", except they are freedom, democracy and demonstration.
An excerpt from the BBC story:
Chinese bloggers already face strict controls and must register their online journal with Chinese authorities.
Microsoft said the company abided by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it operates.
Banned words
The censorship is thought to have been introduced as a concession to the Chinese government.
Also being restricted on the free parts of the site are journal entries that mention "human rights" and "Taiwan independence".
Following Yahoo, here is a second American internet giant giving way to the Chinese authorities and agreeing to self-censorship
Reporters Without Borders statementThose using these banned words or writing entries that are pornographic or contain sensitive information get a pop-up warning that reads: "This message contains a banned expression, please delete this expression."
Microsoft's MSN Spaces site is run by its joint venture partner, the state-backed Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd.
Microsoft said people who used its MSN Spaces service were required to abide by its code of conduct.
The code says that users are not allowed to upload, post, or distribute any content which "violates any local and national laws that apply to your location".
"Microsoft is a multi-national business and as such needs to manage the reality of operating in countries around the world," a Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC News website.
