New Bans Show China's Concerns About Tech

[lovuian]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051001/ap_on_hi_te/china_internet_control

Two new Internet bans may offer insight into the Chinese government's biggest fears. One bars Internet news services from inciting "illegal" assemblies, marches and demonstrations; the other prohibits activities on behalf of "illegal" civil groups.

ADVERTISEMENT

Together, they evince the communist regime's concerns over growing civil unrest — and particularly technology's role in fostering protests and strikes, says Julien Pain, who heads the Internet Freedom desk at Reporters Without Borders in Paris.

While the government has been successful at blocking specific Web sites, Pain said, "what is more difficult to censor are usually the forums and chat rooms."

Add to that Web journals known as blogs, cell-phone text messaging and e-mail lists — all potential outlets for unchecked political commentary.

Last week's update to Internet regulations issued in 2000 is vague, but human rights activists and scholars on China say the new rules define online news services more broadly. The state-run China Daily even cites SMS text messages, a fast and efficient communications means available to anyone with a mobile phone, as falling under the new umbrella.

"The old regs were focused more on news sites," said Jim Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Since then, "people have used SMS to organize themselves, to pass news around, to rally crowds of protesters
more...

Its tough to monitor this and stop!!! Rotsa Ruck China!!!

[neweurope]

1. American companies are helping the Chinese government

spy on the people. Yahoo even gave the personal information about a critical Chinese journalist to the Chinese government. Which didn't go very well for the journalist.

I had a link - SPIEGEL online - but I just saw that it's in their archive now where I would have to pay.

----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[bemildred]

2. LOL. "unchecked political commentary".

My God! People can just say whatever they want!

But seriously, this is a big issue, it's the core of the problem
that the Internet presents to authoritarian governments. You
cannot "divide and rule" unless you can first divide, and the network
brings people together.