NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] China backs off on censorship software, but may still require real names on comments
Greetings. The New York Times is reporting that China has now
definitively backed off from requiring the installation of
filtering/censorship software on all PCs sold in China. Internet cafe
and other public computers would still be required to use the
software, and two major manufacturers are already including it on PCs
sold in China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/world/asia/14censor.html
China blames the controversy over the software on "confusion" related
to badly written regulations.
On a related front, the same article reports that China is considering
a requirement that all posters to Internet chat rooms, bulletin board
systems, etc. use their real names (and, I'd be willing to bet,
eventually include other identifying information as well) on all
postings. The stifling effects of such a requirement on speech
are obvious, but I should note that I regularly hear from people in
the U.S. promoting a similar misguided ("Internet Driver's License")
concept.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein