China Cracks Down on 'vulgar' Websites
Officials says sites including Google have failed to censor inappropriate content
Chinese officials today launched a crackdown on "vulgar" websites including Google and the country's leading search engine, Baidu.
Officials named 19 sites they said had failed to censor inappropriate content despite warnings or that had not done so swiftly enough, "harming" young people's physical and mental health.
State television, which showed officials seizing equipment from an office, reported that the ministry of public security, along with other government bodies, announced the crackdown at a meeting.
The China internet illegal information reporting center – part of the Internet Society of China – claimed searches on Google and Baidu produced too many links to obscene or pornographic websites.
Baidu has captured around two-thirds of the world's largest internet population, with Google, the world leader in search, in second place.
Public relations representatives for Google China and Baidu declined to comment, telling Reuters they were unaware of the announcement.
The crackdown list included several other of China's most popular sites, such as Sina, Sohu, Netease and Tianya.
The Chinese government frequently launches censorship drives to target pornography and web scams as well as political criticism.
Officials have promised "stern punishment" for offenders this time. Pornography is illegal, but widely available, in China.
"Some websites have exploited loopholes in laws and regulations," Cai Mingzhao, a deputy chief of the state council information office, said in a report on an official news website.
"They have used all kinds of ways to distribute content that is low-class, crude and even vulgar, gravely damaging mores on the internet."
Cai told officials to "fully grasp the gravity and threat of the vulgar current infesting the internet".
Last month, state media reported that Shanghai police had detained a woman who sought to profit after being recorded in a sex video that became an online sensation.
The woman started a blog advertising her availability for appearances and underwear modeling assignments after deciding to make use of her new-found notoriety.
Officials named 19 sites they said had failed to censor inappropriate content despite warnings or that had not done so swiftly enough, "harming" young people's physical and mental health.
State television, which showed officials seizing equipment from an office, reported that the ministry of public security, along with other government bodies, announced the crackdown at a meeting.
The China internet illegal information reporting center – part of the Internet Society of China – claimed searches on Google and Baidu produced too many links to obscene or pornographic websites.
Baidu has captured around two-thirds of the world's largest internet population, with Google, the world leader in search, in second place.
Public relations representatives for Google China and Baidu declined to comment, telling Reuters they were unaware of the announcement.
The crackdown list included several other of China's most popular sites, such as Sina, Sohu, Netease and Tianya.
The Chinese government frequently launches censorship drives to target pornography and web scams as well as political criticism.
Officials have promised "stern punishment" for offenders this time. Pornography is illegal, but widely available, in China.
"Some websites have exploited loopholes in laws and regulations," Cai Mingzhao, a deputy chief of the state council information office, said in a report on an official news website.
"They have used all kinds of ways to distribute content that is low-class, crude and even vulgar, gravely damaging mores on the internet."
Cai told officials to "fully grasp the gravity and threat of the vulgar current infesting the internet".
Last month, state media reported that Shanghai police had detained a woman who sought to profit after being recorded in a sex video that became an online sensation.
The woman started a blog advertising her availability for appearances and underwear modeling assignments after deciding to make use of her new-found notoriety.
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