Google warned as China cracks down on online vulgarity

by Staff, Brand Republic 05-Jan-09, 12:20

BEIJING - China has launched a major crackdown on a number of websites, including Google and leading Chinese search engine Baidu, for failing to stop the spread of pornography.

Six government agencies will work with the Chinese ministry of public security to "purify the internet's cultural environment and protect the healthy development of minors", according to a report on the government's official news website.

Officials named 19 websites which had failed to take measures to censor pornographic links or content, including Google, Baidu, popular social networks Sina and Sohu and a number of video sharing sites.

The report said site's responsible for violations will be severely punished and risk shut down, although no further details were provided as to the extent of the punishment or the length of the campaign itself.

Cui Jin, a Google spokesperson in China, said: "If they [users] find content that is contrary to Chinese law, they can report it to Google. And if we find it's truly illegal, we'll deal with it according to the law."

Video footage from Chinese news broadcast last night showed police removing electronic equipment from an unidentified office.

Pornography is illegal in China but still widely available despite tough regulations and government-funded internet watchdogs.

China has the most internet users in the world, with about 300m citizens online in 2008.