A database of Chinese websites through which law enforcement
agencies can track website registrations is expected to be
completed in October.
Vice Minister of Information Industry Xi Guohua said on Monday
the ministry had recorded the basic information of more than 1.6
million websites, including the registers' names, IP address, and
domain names.
More than 2,000 new websites applied for registration each day
and the biggest challenge was updating data and building a search
engine that would access basic information as quickly as
possible.
The database would also blacklist websites involved in illegal
online activities, such as pornography and unlicensed online
lotteries.
Website operators and Internet access providers would both be
held responsible for online illegal activities, said Xi.
The Ministry of Information Industry suspended almost 3,000
websites for publishing "harmful" information in its 2006 annual
inspection. This year the ministry has shut down 900 websites for
distributing pornographic material.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2007)