China slams Google over porn

The logo of web search engine Google is seen behing a computer keyboard. China stepped up its war on Internet censorship, slamming Google China for allowing pornographic content to seep into the nation and threatening to punish the search engine.

China stepped up its war on Internet censorship Thursday, slamming Google China for allowing pornographic content to seep into the nation and threatening to punish the search engine.

"Google China's website has not installed filters to block pornography in accordance with the laws and regulations of our nation," the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Centre (CIIRC) said in a statement.

"A lot of overseas Internet pornographic information has spread into our nation by way of this website, seriously violating laws and regulations."

The statement was read on state-run broadcaster China Central Television's evening news bulletin. The issue was also the main item on the "Focus" current events programme that follows the news.

"CIIRC strongly condemns Google China and demands that it thoroughly clean up the pornographic and vulgar content on its sites," the centre said.

"CIIRC calls on concerned departments in charge of implementing the law to punish (Google China) in accordance with the law."

The reporting centre was jointly set up in 2004 by the State Council, China's cabinet, the Ministry of Police and the Ministry of Information Industry, the nation's Internet watchdog.

No Google representative was immediately available to give comment on the accusations.

The move comes after China vowed to crack down on Internet content that it deems unhealthy, including pornography and anti-government information.

In recent days, computer makers were told by the government that all personal computers sold from July 1 must be shipped with anti-pornography software, a move that has led to widespread concern both in and outside China.

China has the world's largest online population at nearly 300 million web users.

Authorities have a history of blocking websites they deem politically unacceptable or offensive, a censorship system that has been dubbed the "Great firewall of China".

(c) 2009 AFP

   

• Sirussinder - Jun 18, 2009
  • Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
  Google sucks for assisting China on filtering the internet.
  
  China sucks for its Orwellian approach to censor and filter the internet.
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• MadLintElf - Jun 18, 2009
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  They should put all google servers outside of China and then they won't have to comply with the rules there.
  
  Or China can start using BING!, and then they will have something to complain about.
  
  
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• ealex - Jun 18, 2009
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  Wonder why China is so worried about porn. If anything, it should improve productivity and morale.
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• Nan2 - Jun 18, 2009
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  ^no more than one child per couple, thats why. MS is assisting China in information control too. Oh well, Viva Viagra.
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• Diotrephes - Jun 19, 2009
  • Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
  I completely disagree with the above commentators - you assume that democratic ideals are right, regardless of any consequence. Let's not forget that democracy too has its evils, and one of them is the free exchange of pornography. Look at U.S. culture, now become token decadence, just waiting for the next Gibbons book to come out on the nature of its decline. The Chinese government might have its own agenda here, but they're right on in the desire to block internet porn.
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• trumpcard - Jun 19, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
  Atleast someone is doing right,all this porn and hate websites are getting out of hand.First examine the countries like UK,Australia who claim to be bastions of freedom and all doing the same orwellian stuff and blaming other counties to distract the common mass.
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• donjoe0 - Jun 19, 2009
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  Let's not forget that democracy too has its evils

  
  Don't be stupid, only the misapplication of "democracy" to groups that haven't agreed to make certain decisions toghether is really evil, not democracy itself. Democracy is an instrument. You can use it for good or for stupid.
  
  

  one of them is the free exchange of pornography

  
  Oh get off your high horse, Mr. Obsolete Morals. What are you, Xtian or something? I dare you to produce one scientific study that shows pornography in and of itself has bad effects on healthy people.
  
  
  Oh, and to the article author, who wrote that "China stepped up its war on Internet censorship":
  
  WTF, mate?! China has no "war on Internet censorship", IT'S DOING THE CENSORING!
  
  

  ^no more than one child per couple, thats why

  
  Get real. Who lied to you that more porn means more intercourse? I suspect quite the opposite is true.
  
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• Diotrephes - Jun 21, 2009
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  DonjoeO, evidently you forgot to read your Plato, but I'm sure you'd just say that's Obsolete as well - strange thing that the Greeks were among the first to actually INVENT Democracy.
  
  A slightly more modern text, perhaps? Read Alexis De Tocqueville's "Democracy in America", and then perhaps we can have a rational discussion - and without the name calling.
  
  As to your rather comical idea about a 'study' of the effects of pornography, I would only ask you this, by what criterion do you judge 'good' and 'bad', and furthermore, who's to judge the criterion itself - those sweltering in the 'democratic' ideal of free exchange of pornography, those against it, or worse, those with no opinion (in other words with no idea of good and bad, and so we've back to the drawing board).
  
  Finally, one doesn't have to be Xtian to have either morals or opinions that are - how does one say - different from your own.
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• Ethelred - Jul 05, 2009
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  As to your rather comical idea about a 'study' of the effects of pornography,

  
  
  What is comical about that? Two different Republican administrations have done exactly that.
  
  The Nixon Admins study found no harm and actually admitted it. The Reagan administration found the same and then Reagan's sleazy bribe taking Attorney General had the paper modified to say that harm was done despite their inability to prove it.
  
  So its two for two in favor of porn. And one of the Attorneys General went to jail for Watergate and the other resigned to avoid prosecution for taking bribes. Which did more harm? The porn or the Attorneys General that tried to invent evidence against it?
  
  

  those sweltering in the 'democratic' ideal of free exchange of pornography,

  
  
  The way you write that makes it look like you have something against Democracy. Perhaps you would prefer a Theocracy?
  
  

  Finally, one doesn't have to be Xtian to have either morals or opinions that are - how does one say - different from your own.

  
  
  True. Nevertheless he was right. What do you have against being called a Christian anyway?
  
  As for Plato well he was into young men so I am not inclined to use him as source of moral reason.
  
  Ethelred
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