You are absolutely right that the de jurie restrictions are not comparable. It's difficult to imagine a fully-functioning, sensible adult who can look at the official-ish Chinese position(s) and not object.
However, it is not entirely unreasonable to compare the end results. There is definitely a chilling effect in the USA, effecting many of the very people who are best in a position to blow a whistle. And that this has been accomplished without the appearance of a draconian overreach is itself part of that chill.
These two (and other) methods of state violence against expression are worth considering when choosing a region for a cloud services provider.
> There is definitely a chilling effect in the USA
Perhaps with individual whistle blowers, but definitely not with the press. I agree the USA is nowhere near perfect, and I always fear it will become more like China rather than say much of western europe (which still is far from perfect).
> These two (and other) methods of state violence against expression are worth considering when choosing a region for a cloud services provider.
If you want to associate with a better run state for your cloud service region, you have much better options than China. Not that Alibaba is bad at all, I have friends who work there and it seems to be a decent company by Chinese standards.
However, it is not entirely unreasonable to compare the end results. There is definitely a chilling effect in the USA, effecting many of the very people who are best in a position to blow a whistle. And that this has been accomplished without the appearance of a draconian overreach is itself part of that chill.
These two (and other) methods of state violence against expression are worth considering when choosing a region for a cloud services provider.