Chinese Home PCs Required to Have Spyware July 1

In a move designed to give the government unprecedented control over what users will and will not be able to see on the Internet, the Chinese government reportedly wants all computers sold in China after July 2009 to come pre-installed software that automatically censors the Internet.

That's not surprising when you consider the fact that China recently ranked number one as the most complete Electronic Police State in the world. (Source (PDF): cryptohippie.com)

During the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre this past week, China reportedly blocked access to websites like Twitter, Flickr and Hotmail in their attempts to quell dissent and to make sure that young people in China remain behind the government. (Source: voanews.com)

China Views Internet as Growing Threat

The order to install blocking software comes under a directive of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The Chinese government views the Internet as a tool of protest and worries that online debate forums in the country could be stirring trouble.

Green Dam, the program that will soon be required on China's home computers, is designed primarily to stop access to adult sites. A member of Jinhui Computer System Engineering company said that every PC will be shipped with the software before it is sold to customers effective July 1.

The company is deceptively marketing the software as good news for users who should not uninstall it. A second program called Youth Escort will be included to filter out rude or subversive words. (Source: telegraph.co.uk)

Once installed, the two programs can allegedly transmit personal information and make it difficult for users to tell what access is being denied. Under the terms of the new rules, manufacturers have the option of shipping Green Dam on a separate disc but they have to report how many units have been sold together with Green Dam.

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