Who Rules the Internet in China?
By Christina DeFalco, AsiaWise
14 Mar 2001 14:30 (GMT +08:00)
When it comes to media in China, hopes are pinned on the Internet. Since the government isn't likely to loosen its stranglehold on newspapers and radio, the World Wide Web's steady flow of information has the greatest potential to nourish the estimated 20 million information-starved mainlanders logging on to the Internet.
But how free is the information published on the Internet or discussed in chat rooms in China?
While being careful about what you say in China has always been a given, people claiming their phones were tapped met much eye-rolling and were often dismissed as paranoid. Nowadays though, people who believe their chat-room conversations are monitored are absolutely correct. The country's rules on the Internet reveal the government's fear that the medium will slip out of its grasp - a nightmare for a regime bent on controlling every aspect of its citizens' lives.
Over China's National Day holiday in October last year, the country made headlines as a new Internet law sent shock waves through the dotcom community. In vague, overbroad terms, the law prohibited Internet information services (IIS) providers from disseminating information on a broad range of topics. Prohibited content includes information that is detrimental to the honor and interests of the state, disturbs social order or undermines social stability, or that preaches the teachings of evil cults.
Another law passed in November requires IIS providers to keep a record of the information released via their services, the time of release, and the IP addresses or domain names of the information disseminators. In December, the NPC passed a resolution on maintaining the security of computer networks. The law specifies thirteen computer-related criminal offenses, including "publicizing harmful information on the Internet." With this framework in place, the Chinese government gave itself more control than many had thought possible.
After the news died down it was back to business as usual - companies just gave that "this is China" shrug and learned to live with it. Actually, day-to-day operations didn't change that much, which the local IIS providers (many of whom had already voluntarily restricted their content to avoid trouble, law or no law) had predicted from the beginning. As Sina and Sohu users know, the range of information available on China's portals is actually quite broad. In January this year, Sina even received the first license for an Internet company to publish online news.
So what effect are these laws having on IIS providers? Thus far, not that much.
Sure, they're taking precautions - when signing on to Sohu's chat room, a big warning appears that lists the prohibitions. Underneath, the portal warns: "If you are a Chinese national and willingly choose to break these laws, Sohu.com is legally obliged to report you to the Public Security Bureau." But so far, the laws have not had much impact on the average joe who airs a few opinions in a chat room.
What will happen to those who get a bit too chatty over the net? Although the weapon in the government's arsenal has mainly gone unused (as far as we have heard), it has taken action in the past. One well-publicized case is that of Huang Qi, who has been detained since June last year because his website crossed the line.
Huang's site, which purportedly grew out of an electronic billboard for missing persons, became a forum for disgruntled Chinese to post their tales of human rights abuses. Arrested prior to the new laws, Huang was charged with "subversion." Not much has been heard from him since except for a message posted on Feb. 27 by his wife. She reported that her request for Huang Qi's medical care on bail was denied.
And as those who have been following the government's failed attempt to cover up the fireworks explosion tragedy that killed 39 children must be wondering, are heads going to roll for that debacle?
The first accounts of the tragedy last week reported that the explosion was related to children who had been making firecrackers in the school, which had apparently been used as a factory. Premier Zhu Rongji, however, stepped up and announced that a "lone madman" was in fact the cause. As the chat rooms filled up with comments of disbelief and sarcasm of the government's official version, international papers gleefully reported the discrepancy. The severe loss of face by Zhu and the government could result in retaliation.
Although Sina blanked the screens after its chat room discussion got out of hand, it is obligated to keep records of the conversation. If the government decides to look into the matter, the question will be, did the chat room comments constitute "publicizing harmful information on the Internet"? Were they detrimental to the honor and interests of the state? How about disturbing social order or undermining social stability? Those are pretty broad categories...
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