"Self-Discipline Pact" for all Internet providers
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The China Internet Association, a government-run industry group, has called on Internet provider to subscribe to a "self-discipline pact'" meant to stop the spread of information harmful to national security. This falls in line with Beijing's strategy to control the flow of information and silence political dissidents by closing down cybercafes and Websites deemed hostile to the Communist Party and the government.
Since the launching last March of a campaign designed to protect youth against the "infiltration of foreign ideologies", 16,000 cybercafes have been closed down throughout the country, especially near schools and in residential areas. In fact, in China 56% of internauts are under the age of 25 while 28% of the population (367 millions) are children and teenagers. Despite strong protests, at the end of May the Chinese version of Google's search engine was blocked.
China requires that Internet firms weed out their online content, especially if they are critical of the government. A special police force, 30,000 strong, is in charge of blocking and censuring sites deemed "dangerous".
According to the China Internet Network Information Center, there were 68 million Internet users in 2003, almost 50% more than in 2002, when they were about 46 millions. According to United Nations data the number of users in China increased by 50% every 6 months for the period June 1998-July 2002. In 1997 there were 290,000 computers with Internet access. In 2003 they were 16 millions. (ThR)
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22/04/2024 17:06
