The universal Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Chinese government confirmed Wednesday what free-speech advocates loathe to take in: Reporters covering the Olympic Games won’t be able to access Web sites that China deems politically sensitive.

World Wide Web censorship is standard for China’s citizens, but China vowed seven years ago to allow journalists unfettered access during the Olympics. The backpedaling means about 20,000 reporters and technicians that will flood Beijing next week for the Olympic Games will be working

“The Olympic committee should have understood in the first place that censorship is a core strategy the Chinese government uses to maintain control. The IOC was naive to think China would relinquish that control, whether only for a week,” said Leslie Harris, president and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. “It is very disappointing. I am as disappointed in the IOC as I am in China.”

Orginal post by Top Tech News