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China Begins Monitoring Billions of Text Messages

Posted by Soulskill on from the that-would-be-a-terrible-job dept.

eldavojohn writes "The Telegraph is reporting that China has begun monitoring 'billions of text messages' in order to increase censorship. However, a People's Daily article claims they only monitor users who have been reported, and only shut down their message service if the complaints are true. Anything considered pornographic will require the user to bring a letter of guarantee to the local public security bureau promising to never again send such messages before service can be reactivated."

4 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Government protest? by stoat · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a similar procedure, but when you go down to the local public security bureau with your letter of guarantee they shoot you in the head and harvest your organs.

  2. Re:Monitoring is universal by Kanel · · Score: 5, Informative
    The european SMS "culture" appears more widespread and mature than the US one. It has been a killer app since the late 90's, when prices dropped. I recall being surprised around 2002 when talking with US friends and realizing that many of them had cellphones with no SMS capability. "surely your cellphone is broken or something?" I asked.

    As for cheap, in parts of Africa there's almost a whole "language" based on the messages you can send just by calling and hanging up before it answears. the time of day or no. of missed calls forms a code that can be transmitted for free.

  3. Pornographics words not to use in SMS while in Chi by DeltaQH · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here are some examples:

    Down with CCP
    Free Tibet
    Free Xinjiang
    Rule of law
    Down with the Great Firewall
    Human rights
    Multiparty sytem
    Accountability
    Melanine
    Children crushed by crumbling schools
    Forced abortion
    Chapter 08
    You have nice pecks baby.

    Just think of the children!!

  4. Logistics by adbge · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ethical concerns aside, it would be extremely interesting to see how censorship on this large of a scale is implemented.

    I wonder how effective automated modern systems will be at filtering, and how much of the censorship will have to rely on human employees. Total cost? Effectiveness? Cultural implications?