China pays for porn tip-offs

China has long waged a war against pornography, and lewd Internet content is currently high on the country's government's hit list.

by Helen Leggatt

China's current anti-porn campaign, launched in August this year, has already achieved the closure of nearly 7,000 pornographic websites.

Ramping up their efforts sees the launch of a new initiative that promises rewards of up to 10,000 Yuan, or $1,465, to Internet users who report websites that contain pornography. The content ban extends to ads that promote sex products and obscene material.

According to recent reports, the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Centre (CIIRC), who handles public reports and about illegal and harmful information on the Internet within the border of China, received more than 500 phone calls and 13,000 online tips, almost 10 times the norm, once the reward scheme was announced.

Wireless application protocol (WAP) sites on mobile devices are also being targeted by China's authorities. All the country's state-owned wireless telecom companies are being put under pressure to stamp out access to porn through WAP sites.

In June this year, the Chinese government ordered all new PCs produced or sold in China after 1 July to be equipped with "Green Dam - Youth Escort", filtering software designed to block pornographic content.

China pays for porn tip-offs

China has long waged a war against pornography, and lewd Internet content is currently high on the country's government's hit list.

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