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Cyberspace regulator meets the press
(China.org.cn)
Updated: 2006-02-17 19:45
Lianhe Zaobao : As Mr. Liu has just said and emphasized, no one has been
arrested in China simply because he or she said something on the Internet, and
the government adopts explicit lawful management over Internet affairs. May I
ask a question that if illegal activities did take place on some websites, for
example, if they published some illegal comments, what would the Internet
Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Ministry do? Till now, how many websites
have been penalized for such occurrences and what are the penalties? Another
question, you have said that blogs and personal websites are also subject to
relevant approval procedures if they want to release news-like information. How
many blogs or personal websites have applied for approval? And what did the
authorities do about the websites that might have released news comments without
having first gone through the required formalities?
Liu: Reports from the public are the main way we deal with illegal and
harmful information. As I have just introduced, the China Reporting Center of
Illegal and Unhealthy Information has received 235,000 tip-offs from the public
since it was set up in June 2004. A part of those tip-offs can be dealt with
directly by related websites because there is a system through which the
websites can receive such reports immediately. The rest are passed on to
relevant government departments and those governmental departments are
responsible for informing related websites that they are to delete the illegal
and harmful information on their websites. It is called the
"Notification-Deletion" mechanism, and is also an international practice.
Referring to the question about blogs and personal websites carrying news, I
hope you can be clear about one thing and that is that not all the news released
needs a permit. Those which need permission are information related to politics,
economy, military and foreign affairs, since such news is closely linked to the
public interest. The prerequisites to providing Internet information services
are stipulated by the Regulations on Management of Online News Services. I can
give you the related materials after this press conference.
Penalties imposed on websites carrying illegal and harmful information have
been lenient in China. Under ordinary circumstances, ordering the deletion of
the information has been enough. No website has been shut down as a result.
China News Service : In your introduction you said that China's Internet
industry has drawn on the experience of other countries, and China set up an
industry organization as well as an Internet society. Could you please give some
examples of how the Internet self-regulating organization would deal with
problems?
Liu: The major aim of setting up
Internet trade organizations is not to deal with problems on the Internet. It is
to facilitate the industry's development and to contribute to exchange and
cooperation. These Internet trade organizations have drawn up some pledges and
performance specifications. One important aim is to prevent vicious competition
within the industry. As to the problems facing the industry, the industry's
representatives are working together for solutions. The self-discipline concept
has achieved good results, at least in three aspects. First, unlike before, the
industry now has its own standards. Second, there is room for industry players
to communicate and discuss with one another. Third, these players can collate
the industry's opinions and proposals and make representations to government
organs, which would help the government understand the industry better. Many
problems confronting China's Internet industry have been resolved within the
framework of industry self-discipline. As I know, the Internet Society of China
organizes overseas research trips every year for members and related specialists
to learn from overseas Internet organizations.
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