China Moves To Ban Anonymous Online Posts - Jane Macartney
After the Xiammen PX environmental protests, local authority threatens to ban anonymous online posts. From Times Online:
Officials in a Chinese city have drawn up a ban on anonymous online postings and the censorship of cyberspace chatroom exchanges after citizens organised China’s first middle-class protest against the threat of pollution.
…… The police were shocked when some 10,000 people, mobilised by mobile phone text messages and an internet-based campaign, marched through the streets on June 1 and 2 to protest against the planned chemical plant.
One of the most worrying developments during the demonstration came on the second day, when marchers used their mobile phones to send text reports as well as photos and video to bloggers and websites in other cities who posted live reports of the march for all of China to see. The local government has suspended construction of the 300-acre 1.4 billion (US) dollar plant.
One government official said the protest had shown the necessity to control content on the internet. He said: “Those who illegally spread harmful or bad information will be detained or fined.” [Full Text]
