(fwd from POL-SCI-TECH list) > -------------------------------- > Clampdown hits Shanghai cyber cafés > ----------------------------------- > China has closed 127 Internet cafés in Shanghai in a new effort to curb > the spread of online information, which is threatening to mushroom out > of control. > > A week after a clampdown to halt the spread of ''state secrets'' on the > Internet, the authorities raided more than 200 premises, seizing > computers and equipment, in what they said was a drive against > unlicensed Internet operations, the Shanghai News reported. > > The Communist Party regards technology as potentially the biggest threat > to its power and views with alarm the spread of ''cyber'' cafés and the > use of the Internet by dissidents. There are an estimated nine million > users in China, but that number is expected to rise to 300 million over > the next five years. > > The strict licensing of Internet cafés is meant to allow the authorities > to determine the authorship of anonymous e-mails. The cafés are required > by law to log the names of users. > > Last Wednesday Beijing introduced new regulations, making the operators > of Internet bulletin boards, chat rooms and news groups responsible for > any security breach. The regulations cover e-mail and have given the > authorities a powerful weapon against the Internet, since China's > definition of state secrets can encompass virtually any information not > approved by the Government for publication. > > Source: > http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/02/02/timfgnfar01002.html?999 > - The Times > >
