It may be the impression of some who look upon the current China-Internet situation that the Chinese government’s strangle hold of the medium happened quickly and recently. Not so.
Here follows some useful background information, courtesy the Human Rights Watch:
Between 1994 and the present, China’s rules and regulations on the Internet became progressively more comprehensive, moving from efforts to regulate Internet business to restrictions on news sites and chat rooms. These regulations give the government wide discretion to arrest and punish any form of expression. For example, “topics that damage the reputation of the State” are banned, but an Internet user has no way of knowing what topics might be considered injurious. As the regulatory framework evolved, the Chinese government shifted primary responsibility for control of the Internet from the Ministry for Public Security to the Internet service providers themselves.
In 1994, one year before the Internet became commercially available for individuals in China, the State Council issued the “PRC Regulations for the Safety Protection of Computer Information Systems” which gave the Ministry of Public Security overall responsibility for supervision of the Internet. According to Article 17 of the Regulations, Public Security is entitled to “supervise, inspect and guide the security protection work,” “investigate and prosecute illegal criminal cases” and “perform other supervising duties.” In February 1996, the State Council issued rules on the connection between China’s domestic network and the international Internet. These regulations began to shift some of the responsibility for control of content to the Internet companies themselves.
Public Security then issued a decree that all Internet users register with a police bureau in their neighborhood within thirty days of signing up with an ISP. Police stations in provinces and cities followed up on this almost immediately. They also set up computer investigation units. In December 1997, Article 5 of the “Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations,” issued by the Ministry of Public Security, states:
No unit or individual may use the Internet to create, replicate, retrieve, or transmit the following kinds of information:
1. Inciting to resist or violate 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. Engaging in 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;
Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative regulations.
Article 8 of the same regulations states:
Units and individuals engaged in Internet business must accept the security supervision, inspection, and guidance of the Public Security organization. This includes providing to the Public Security organization information, materials and digital document, and assisting the Public Security organization to discover and properly handle incidents involving law violations and criminal activities related to computer information networks.
Additional China Internet Censorship Background Information
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