China: Steps up web crackdown - The software will block websites deemed 'harmful' by the government

China steps up web crackdown: The software will block websites deemed
'harmful' by the government
<http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/06/20096872137582878.html>

The Chinese government is planning to require all personal computers sold in
the country to come with software that blocks access to websites banned by the
government, a US newspaper has reported.

The government said its demand was aimed at protecting the country's young
population from "harmful" content, including pornography, The Wall Street
Journal reported on Monday.

The paper said that China's ministry of industry and information technology
issued a note to PC manufacturers to this effect on May 19.

It demanded that computers aimed at the Chinese market  be preloaded with the
software,  named "Green Dam-Youth Escort", as of July 1, the paper said.

An official who tested the product for a government agency said that it would
link PCs with an updated database of banned websites and block access to those
addresses.

--snip--

Francis Moriarty, a member of the press freedom committee of the Hong Kong
Foreign Correspondents Club, told Al Jazeera

--snip--

"I'm aware that the government says it is aimed at pornographic websites, but
it also has the ability to block other websites, too," he said.

Military ties

The software was developed by Jinhui Computer System Engineering Company, with
assistance from the Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy.

Both companies are linked to China's military and security ministries.

--snip--