New software to screen out pornographic text and images and to
stop those under 18 from surfing the Internet will soon be
installed in more than 110,000 computers in Shanghai's 1,329
Internet cafes.
The Shanghai Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and
Television has invested 7 million yuan (US$843,400) to develop and
install software to screen out pornographic information and images
and to stop those under 18 from surfing the Internet, officials
said.
The software has already won the approval of the Ministry of
Culture, and a pilot project involving several Shanghai's 1,329
Internet cafes began in April. Installation is expected to be
completed in June.
Officials believe that with the software, minors will
effectively be shut out as customers of Internet cafes. The system
requires that users key in an identification number to operate the
computer.
If the customer is identified as a minor under the age of 18,
the computer will automatically shut down. The software will also
screen out pornographic and violent webpages.
The issue has aroused heated debate on censorship and
privacy.
Some "netizens" and lawyers are concerned that the software is
an invasion of people's privacy.
University senior Kelly Li said, "After all, we are already
adults and we know what webpages to visit and which not to."
In the Oriental Morning Post, Professor Wu Hong of the
East China University of Politics and Law wrote that such software
limits the choices of adult customers.
But others point out that Internet cafes are public places where
pornographic web pages that one customer views may be visible to
others. They argue that the government thus has the right to place
limitations in this behavior.
Experts point out such censorship occurs in other countries, and
China is not alone in doing this.
Officials point out that the software will not store records of
webpages a customer visits, but will only differentiate between
pornographic or violent webpages and "normal" ones in order to
screen out the objectionable material.
They added that no one will know who the customers are or what
sites they have visited, and they will not receive any
punishment.
Some lawyers believe that the customer privacy is not harmed and
the software is not infringing on the customers' rights.
Sichuan, Hunan and Zhejiang provinces and the Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region have already installed similar systems
in their local Internet cafes. They report good results in blocking
pornographic information and keeping minors out.
(China Daily April 30, 2004)