Top US officials have urged China to abandon a controversial plan requiring all new personal computers to be sold with Internet filtering software from next week, warning the step could violate world trade rules.China has the world's biggest online community but foreign companies seeking to do business there have faced charges of bowing to censorship rules in their hunt for market access. Here are some questions and answers about China's internet controls: Why does Beijing contr
ol the internet? China's government uses internet controls to prevent its citizens accessing online information that it considers morally corrupting or politically sensitive, or to rein in potentially destabilising online trends like fervent nationalism. The Communist Party has held on to power since 1949 in part by restricting the free flow of information. What is the 'Great Firewall'? Beijing uses a series of measures including a firewall that blocks objectionable overseas sites, content guidelines for online companies and internet service providers and an army of censors who trawl the web for controversial postings. From next week all personal computers sold in China will also have "Green Dam" filtering software installed, which the government says aims to protect children from illegal pornographic and violent images.Critics say the programme is technically flawed and could be used to spy on internet users and block other sites that Beijing considers politically offensive.
ol the internet? China's government uses internet controls to prevent its citizens accessing online information that it considers morally corrupting or politically sensitive, or to rein in potentially destabilising online trends like fervent nationalism. The Communist Party has held on to power since 1949 in part by restricting the free flow of information. What is the 'Great Firewall'? Beijing uses a series of measures including a firewall that blocks objectionable overseas sites, content guidelines for online companies and internet service providers and an army of censors who trawl the web for controversial postings. From next week all personal computers sold in China will also have "Green Dam" filtering software installed, which the government says aims to protect children from illegal pornographic and violent images.Critics say the programme is technically flawed and could be used to spy on internet users and block other sites that Beijing considers politically offensive.For further details visit at:www.news24.com/Content/World/News/1073/65207b5ad71f4a6d9d0bfd60709adb0d/How_tight_is_Chinas_firewall
