Democracy News

China Introduces New Controls on Internet Use
February 24, 2010
By: Benjamin Russell | Printer Friendly

The Chinese government plans to introduce a new set of internet controls ostensibly aimed at curtailing internet pornography, according to the Los Angeles Times.  Internet users in China will now need to meet with registration officials in person and provide photo identification in order to create individual websites on domestic servers.  China, home to over 380 million internet users, already employs some of the world’s strictest internet controls, according to the Huffington Post.

Some observers believe the move has little to do with internet pornography, and is instead an effort to discourage internet users from challenging government policies. “A key element of control has always been about how to use disciplinary punishment and surveillance to create a self-censorship environment," said Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at UC Berkeley.

The new controls will only pertain to websites registered on China’s domestic server, prompting speculation that internet users in China will be increasingly driven to register websites on foreign servers, according to BBC news. The government’s latest announcement overrides a December freeze on registering new individual websites entirely, but it is unclear when the regulations will take effect.

Sources:

Los Angeles Times - China Imposes New Rules for Personal Websites

BBC News – China Tightens Internet Controls

Huffington Post – China’s Internet Crackdown: Government Launches Strict New Controls