As part of its ongoing crackdown on Web activity, the Chinese government is demanding that Google’s Chinese operation (google.cn) block the access of Chinese citizens to overseas content that is “pornographic and vulgar.”
The China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center, an Internet watchdog run by Chinese authorities, harshly criticized Google in the state press, saying it allows “foreign Internet pornographic information.” Similar charges were broadcast on a state-run television station.
In response, Google issued an e-mail statement saying it is working with Chinese authorities to limit access to “pornographic content and material that is harmful to children on the Web in China.”
“We are undertaking a thorough review of our service,” Google said, “and taking all necessary steps to fix any problems with our results. We believe we have addressed a large majority of the problem results.”
The New York Times reported that Chinese authorities blocked the ability of the Chinese Google site to provide a drop-down menu of suggested search terms, on the grounds that many of the search suggestions were lewd and indecent. Chinese state media also said the government blocked the ability of Chinese citizens to search foreign Web sites, but the Times said overseas sites were still accessible as of Thursday night.
Cracks in the Green Dam
The issue of censorship in the world’s most populous nation has received considerable attention lately, following reports that China planned to require all PCs sold in the country to include a software filter program known as Green Dam-Youth Escort.
The announcement caused a sharp backlash in the international community, in part because the software blocks politically sensitive content as well as pornography, and in part because the software is riddled with security flaws that could allow unauthorized installation of malware or even remote PC control.
As criticism of the Green Dam initiative mounted, Chinese authorities moderated their…