ICC Note
The latest clamp-down on the Internet is an example of the Communist governments latest effort to control and censor most things in China . This is also evidenced in the recent crackdown on house churches in China .
China : Beijing Tightens Hold Over Internet
By Breffni O’Rourke
RadioFreeEurop
To read the whole article, click here: Beijing Tightens Hold Over Internet
P RAGUE , 8 February 2006 — China , with its 1.3 billion people and ultrarapid economic expansion, is a huge and fertile market for new-age communications like the Internet.
But the Chinese leadership is signaling that it does not intend to let this new world of information overwhelm the strict controls traditionally maintained over the media.
It has tens of thousands of cyberpolice combing through the web to eliminate unwanted sites. Some may deal with pornography and violence. But others may offer information on sensitive political and social issues — such as Chinese policies in Tibet , and views of relations with Taiwan — which differ from the official line.
Technology And Censorship
Despite the size of the task, technical control of the web is to a large extent possible, says China expert Alexander Neill, of the Royal United Services Institute in London .
“It’s relatively easy for the authorities to monitor Internet cafes and the like,” Neill says, adding that, in a wider context, “if you have the right technology, it is possible to monitor the Internet at certain points in the network. You can use filtering technology or search words which make it easier to monitor information.”
The screening has sparked controversy in the West, where major technology companies have assisted — not always.
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee is expected this month to examine the activities in China of giants like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco Systems. In the latest example of a business compromise, Google last month agreed to censor its search results for a new service in China .
To continue reading, click here: Beijing Tightens Hold over Internet
