China Shuts Down 17,000 Internet Bars

Astin writes: "According to this article, Chinese authorities have shut down more than 17,000 Internet bars for failing to block Web sites considered subversive or pornographic. Out of the 94,000 Internet bars in China, 17,488 have been shut down and another 28,000 were ordered to install monitoring software soon. Of the 27 million Internet users in China, about 4.5 million rely on these bars. Foreign news organizations fall under the category of 'subversive'."

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Here's what the Chinese Government's Rules Are

[GNU Zealot]

Taken from http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/english/sandt/ne treg.htm :

Section Four -- No unit or individual may use the Internet to harm national security, disclose state secrets, harm the interests of the State, of society or of a group, the legal rights of citizens, or to take part in criminal activities.

Section Five -- No unit or individual may use the Internet to create, replicate, retrieve, or transmit the following kinds of information:

(1) Inciting to resist or breaking the Constitution or laws or the implementation of administrative regulations;

(2) Inciting to overthrow the government or the socialist system;

(3) Inciting division of the country, harming national unification;

(4) Inciting hatred or discrimination among nationalities or harming the unity of the nationalities;

(5) Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumors, destroying the order of society;

(6) Promoting feudal superstitions, sexually suggestive material, gambling, violence, murder,

(7) Terrorism or inciting others to criminal activity; openly insulting other people or distorting the truth to slander people;

(8) Injuring the reputation of state organs;

(9) Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative regulations.

Section Six No unit or individual may engage in the following activities which harm the security of computer information networks:

(1) No-one may use computer networks or network resources without getting proper prior approval

(2) No-one may without prior permission may change network functions or to add or delete information

(3) No-one may without prior permission add to, delete, or alter

materials stored, processed or being transmitted through the network.

(4) No-one may deliberately create or transmit viruses.

(5) Other activities which harm the network are also prohibited.

Section Seven The freedom and privacy of network users is protected by law. No unit or individual may, in violation of these regulations, use the Internet to violate the freedom and privacy of network users.