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China shuts down 1,287 porn and cult websites
December 28, 2004
Beijing — China has shut down 1,287 websites which spread "harmful information"
on religious cults, superstition and pornography, a government Internet
watchdog said Monday.
Among those closed were 1,129 pornographic sites and another 114 "which
promoted gambling, superstitious activities and cult propaganda," said the
official Reporting Center for Illegal and Harmful Information.
The center said the crackdown was in response to public complaints made over
its website in a campaign which started in June.
Police rewarded informers by paying them 500 yuan ($60) to 2,000 yuan ($241),
according to earlier reports.
"While continuing to support the crackdown on pornographic websites, the
reporting center will make it a priority to target illegal websites on
gambling, fraud and superstition," it said.
China often uses the word "superstition" to refer to religions.
People are allowed to worship in state-sanctioned churches and temples but
authorities regularly crackdown on groups outside of the government's control.
The center also said search engines were barred from directing and linking
searches to pornographic and other websites which contain "harmful
information."
"We urge the industry to heighten its political awareness and sense of
responsibility," it said.
The report did not say whether any arrests had been made.
The crackdown reflects the Communist Party's growing concerns about what it
regards as the negative influence of the Internet on China's youngsters, but
also the general ethical standards of its people.
China has an Internet population of 87 million with about half of the web users
under the age of 24.
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