Fear and Freedom on the Internet
Peter Singer asks whether or not the compliance by Microsoft with China's censorship of its citizens' blogs is a sign that the Internet is in fact not really free to perform the function of setting people and information free. This same censorship applies to much of information flowing into China as well. We are told by friends in Beijing that this blog has been unavailable over non-University Internet connections to the Chinese since March of 2005.
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Chinas filtering system used to curb the inflow of unwanted information
has banned websites, especially those with political flavours,
sexual explicit sites, western news outlets, commentaries from Taiwan,to name a few.The list doesnt end there. Screening private emails were ordered to service providers as well. Its still red China whatever economic progress they are
enjoying at the moment.
The same applies to the city state of Singapore, though not as harsh as China.Internet content is regulated.
Regulations vary from country to country.
- by ipanema on Feb 19, 2006 at 10:54 PM | link
For those who are interested in this topic, The Washington Post is running an excellent series of articles about internet censorship called "The Great Firewall of China." As more and more Chinese go online (according to an NPR interview I was listening to, China is only second to the US in terms of internet users and is experience double-digit yearly growth in the number of people online), it will be interesting to see whether the Chinese government can keep their chokehold on the flow of information. More likely than not, the spread of internet access will achieve what the protestors at Tienanmen could not.
- by Sean on Feb 20, 2006 at 9:31 AM | link
Just curious -- what posting on this capitalist-road blog provoked the Chinese response?
- by Pete on Feb 21, 2006 at 1:57 PM | link