July 4, 2006 | In Law, Politics, Technology |
China’s communist government is trying to even further restrict the internet activities of citizens by placing stricter controls on blogs and search engines to bar content that might be “immoral” or “unhealthy.”
“As more and more illegal and unhealthy information spreads through the blog and search engine, we will take effective measures to put the BBS, blog and search engine under control,” said Cai Wu, the director of China’s Information Office.
Specifically, Chinese authorities plan to develop monitoring technology to keep tabs on the country’s 37 million blogs, so as to stifle free thought and expression at every possible opportunity.
The Chinese government has also recently proposed a law that would block media (including blogs) from reporting on “sudden events” without first gaining approval. This means that authorities could (theoretically) prevent citizens from hearing any “inappropriate” news that might paint a negative picture of their regime.
The very fact that such restrictions are being considered suggests that China’s authoritarian decision makers are getting more and more intimidated by the unhindered exchange of thought and ideas that comes as a result of blogging. They are now fighting a desperate (and losing) battle against intellectual freedom in the information age.
