In a drastic move to tighten regulations of the Internet, individuals can no longer register domain names in China, and those who already have personal websites could lose them.
According to a statement on The China Internet Network Information Centre, as of this week, the only people who can register new domains will be businessmen or organizations, and all those new registrants will need to have both written application materials as well as copies of their enterprise’s business license or organization code certificate.
The China Internet Network Information Centre, which supervises domain name registration, says that the measure stemmed from concern over widespread pornographic content on personal websites.
Existing individual domains could also be in trouble. Website owners in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Henan, Zhejiang and Jiangxi said their sites were no longer accessible.
A collision of cultures — new generations online being squeezed by old gen rulers. Mix in Chinese culture and communism and it’s a a heady mix. In a country where revolution was legitimized (at least once), could there be an online revolution against such constraints? Might young Chinese hackers attack back?
Dave
Censorship by autocratic regimes is inevitable. However this is the kind of BS that the Australian government is trying to foist upon its citizens. The Rudd government is trying to implement enforced ISP-based filtering. No-one will know which site is on the blacklist! So much for democracy. Australia is trying to join ranks with China, Iran and North Korea. If you’d like to know more, check the hashtag #nocleanfeed.
I cannot belive that thats so not fair!
Yeah, China likes to blame everything on porn. I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with silencing the libertarians in the country.
You know they are just using porn as excuse to keep control of there citizens:( Wave the “red flag” of porn and use it to distract everyone as they “put the boot in” on dissenting sites:(
trying desperately to keep a lid on this boiling cauldron of people they have there:( I hope one day the people will realise that they really are sick to the back teeth of a bunch of sad old creeps telling them what they can and cant do for there “own good”:(
Following a huge amount of selfless research I have concluded that China is one of the few countries that has never ‘had’ pornography on its any of its servers.
Good old commie’s stubbing out the libertarians anyway they can.
This is really bad news, We have to protect the internets for everyone !!!
Mind you, theres no way for them to actually control the registration and upkeep of personal websites by the most determined, the danger is when they start dishing out PENALties for those who break the rules.
Freedom from tyranny for China !!
I dont know where u heard this or…..your personal website been closed.what Chinese government did is close all
the website contains porn and violet material,also those who don’t have an Real Name Registration.
Not what you said,ban all the personal website! They want make sure people who have website all been registered. SO if u been registered at police you can have website .
Don’t be biased to everything Chinese government did!!
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..b…b….but they’ll still be able to look at lolcats…..right?….RIGHT?
So you can only have a website if you own a business and benefit the country lol. Money money money – although it seems that the story is a little wrong given what “people” said two comments up.
Just recalled that in the late 90′s the British government were seriously considering isolating the UK internet from the world as a means to stop access to pornography before they legalised it. Bloody glad they didn’t have the control China’s lot have.
The commenter “People” is a shill for the Chinese government. These people get paid by the government to spread lies and disinformation in support of the Chinese government. Pay no attention to him!
The porn content remains a problem for most providers here as well.