Why smart phones threaten would-be censors

Google vs. China. Facebook vs. Pakistan. YouTube vs. Turkey. Blackberry vs., well, half the world. If it seems like the Internet is under siege lately, that's because it is. The cat-and-mouse game between government censors and communications technology is a lot like life along the San Andreas Fault. There are low level rumblings all the time, but every once in a while there's a tectonic shift.

But why so many tremors and earthquakes lately? And is it a good idea for multinational, for-profit companies to be the standard-bearers for basic human rights like free speech?

Read more from msnbc.com’s Bob Sullivan about why all these issues are bubbling up now in his column Red Tape Chronicles: Why smart phones threaten would-be censors.