Microsoft’s Hotmail service was reported restored in China late Friday, May 19, 2006, after more than two weeks of intermittent access problems. InfoWorld attributed the disruption to technical difficulties with Chinese carrier networks, while noting that claims of government intervention were speculation, not a confirmed cause.
When was Hotmail service restored in China?
InfoWorld reported that access returned late Friday, May 19, 2006. The restoration ended intermittent disruptions that had lasted more than two weeks and had kept many Chinese Hotmail users from accessing their accounts. InfoWorld’s May 22, 2006 report described the timing and duration as details of the service incident; it did not give a count of affected users.
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What did Microsoft say caused the disruption?
Microsoft blamed unspecified technical difficulties with carrier networks in China. The report did not identify a specific network fault or provide a more detailed technical root cause, so the carrier-network explanation is as far as the reported account goes.
Was government intervention confirmed?
No. InfoWorld said some users speculated that Chinese government intervention was involved, but its report did not confirm that claim. The report supports distinguishing that speculation from Microsoft’s stated explanation; it does not establish censorship or government action as the cause.
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What does Microsoft’s hosting statement add?
In a separate historical context, Human Rights Watch’s 2006 report reproduces a sentence from Microsoft’s July 2006 response, signed by Pamela S. Passman, Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs: “We appreciate that Microsoft is not hosting Hotmail in China.” That statement records Microsoft’s position about hosting at the time; it does not explain or prove the cause of the May disruption. Human Rights Watch’s report, Race to the Bottom: Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship, provides the reproduced response.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is Hotmail called now, and can users in China access it today?
Hotmail is now Outlook.com. Microsoft’s current support guidance says to sign in at Outlook.com using Microsoft account credentials and to check service status if Outlook.com is having trouble. That general guidance does not establish whether the service is currently accessible from inside China. Microsoft’s Hotmail sign-in support page covers sign-in, not China-specific availability.
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