In addition to the tech heavyweights, several groups such as Human Rights First and Committee to Protect Journalists banded together in forming The Global Network Initiative, according to The Wall Street Journal.

And while the company's efforts seem noble, cynics could point to several cases of human rights violations involving all three companies that have led to proposed legislative measures. The upshot: the companies can take shelter under the umbrella of a private organization rather than face the government's scrutiny and possible interference.

As far back as 2006, Amnesty International accused Google, Microsoft, Yahoo of human rights violations "The Internet should promote free speech, not restrict it, said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty's U.S. branch, in a statement. "We have to guard against the creation of two Internets--one for expression and one for repression(the companies) have violated their stated corporate values and policies" in the name of grabbing the Chinese market.

The Global Network Initiative's goal is to protect online user's personal information where the companies do business -- which includes providing governments with personal information. The principles also call for companies to first assess any risks regarding human rights before proceeding to launch businesses in foreign nations.

According to the Journal, the code mandates that companies should "narrowly interpret and implement government demands that compromise privacy."

"Companies in the information and communications industries face increasing government pressure to comply with domestic laws and policies that require censorship and disclosure of personal information in ways that conflict with internationally recognized human rights laws and standards," the organization said in a statement, according to news service AFP.

Similar efforts as the Global Network Initiative have been launched, such as The Global Online Freedom Act of 2007, which was introduced in Congress sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and seven other sponsors.

The act is intended to "promote freedom of expression on the Internet, to protect U.S. businesses from coercion to participate in repression by authoritarian foreign governmentsand deter U.S. businesses from cooperating with Internet-restricting countries in effecting online censorship."

Moreover, the act points out that "some U.S. businesses in assisting foreign governments to restrict online access to U.S.-supported Web sites and government reports or to identify individual Internet users are working contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests."

So far, the proposed act has languished. The last action was on Feb 22, 2008, when the item was placed on the Union Calendar.

Several Internet companies have stirred up controversy involving violations of human rights abroad, and have been accused of cutting deals with the Chinese government in order to get lucrative business wins.

Earlier this month, eBay subsidiary Skype apologized after a report found that the TOM Online service was monitoring text chats with politically sensitive keywords which were stored with millions of personal user records. The information was easily accessed by anybody, including the Chinese government, Reuters reported. A Skype spokesperson said that its original security agreement with TOM was changed without Skype's knowledge.

Yahoo has been at the forefront of several alleged human rights violations regarding Chinese citizens.

In April 2007, a lawsuit was filed against the company in U.S. federal court in California. The plaintiffs accused Yahoo of providing online information to Chinese authorities, which led to imprisonment and physical abuse.

The lawsuit alleged that by "providing user identification information to the Chinese authorities, Yahoo knowingly and willfully aided and abetted the commission of torture and other human rights abuses that caused the plaintiffs severe physical and mental pain and suffering," according to the Business Human Rights Resource Center.

The lawsuit was settled in November 2007 after reaching a private settlement. Google has also been accused several times of blocking free speech of Chinese dissidents.

In 2006, Microsoft found itself accused of colluding with the Chinese government after it removed a Chinese blog with critical comments about a Beijing newspaper.