After plans were reported to establish a new government body in charge of Internet control and management, a Chinese government official has sought to clarify the role of the new group. From the Wall Street Journal:
The unnamed official was quoted Thursday in a report from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency that clarified the role of the new agency amid China’s already crowded Internet regulatory landscape, saying the new State Internet Information Office will coordinate and streamline oversight and enforcement and will be run by officials from agencies already involved with Internet regulation.
The official said “untenable” remarks made by critics are intended to “tarnish the image of China,” according to Xinhua, adding that China’s policies are meant to safeguard information security and the development of the Chinese Internet amid an industry boom. “A small group of people have made irresponsible remarks about China’s Internet regulations, disregarding basic fact,” the official said.
The office aims to deal with the “current bad environment of the Internet in China,” which the person said included fake information, obscene and vulgar material and gambling. Many other nations have legislation in place to restrict similar activity, the official said.
