Staff Reporter in Shanghai

06/29/2002

Page 7

Shanghai's cyber-police have launched a drive to ensure Internet firms censor anti-government news and viewpoints, and will shut down any which violate state regulations. A sweep of Shanghai-based Web companies is targeting sites that publish information about pro-democracy activists, advocates of an independent Tibet, and [practitioners] of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Zhang Xiaoyu, who heads the Internet News Division of the city's Propaganda Bureau, said his office "is checking Web sites for any materials related to Falun Gong [...]".

[...]

He said in addition to inspecting all Shanghai Internet cafes, authorities had decided to examine content on Web sites. Some companies had been ordered to stop publishing banned information.

The Shanghai Daily reported that Web sites publishing information from sources other than state-controlled media, such as foreign Web sites or newspapers, could be closed down.

The newspaper also said managers of Web sites had a duty to censor banned political and religious views from news and bulletin boards, and warned violators could also face being shut down.