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China steps up war on porn, closes 700 porn sites
August 2, 2004
China plans a multi-pronged approach to its fight against internet porn,
employing both high technology and sex education to stop young people from
visiting lewd websites, state media said.
The 700 sites closed, all hosted and operating out of China, were shut down
during a two week long crackdown. Beijing has already blocked access to
dissident web sites and most foreign news organisations.
The government has kicked off a massive campaign to weed out pornography from
the country's rapidly growing internet, but experts warn technology must be
used to ensure a lasting effect.
High technology will play a vital role in ensuring a clean cyberspace, as it
can be used not only to crack down on domestic internet porn, but also to block
overseas sites, the agency said. Additionally, Internet cafes are also forced
to use strict content filtering on all workstations they offer for public use.
"Existing and developing technology should be sufficient to ensure the Chinese
government's triumph in its campaign," an unnamed researcher with the state lab
on national information security told Xinhua.
Officials and experts, however, are also aware that half the country's internet
population of 87 million are people under the age of 24, and that many simply
visit porn sites to learn about sex.
This is because there are few other sources of information, given the low
priority of the subject in schools combined with parental reluctance to talk
about the still-taboo issue.
"Porn websites are rooted in young people who are thirsty for the facts of
life, on which education is so deficient," said He Tao, a student from the
prestigious Shanghai Jiaotong University.
China has so far arrested at least 224 people in its war against pornography on
the internet, while shutting down nearly 700 websites.
The campaign reflects Chinese authorities' growing concerns not just about the
negative influence of the internet on the country's youngsters, but also the
general ethical standards of the nation's youth.
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