Microblog Rumor Mill Prompts Internet Crackdown in China

April 13, 2012 from LinkAsia

More than a thousand people have been arrested since Bo Xilai's ouster last month for spreading false information online. The Internet Society of China is proposing that internet providers do more to police users. State broadcaster CCTV has this report on the proposed web rules.

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Internet censorship

Internet censorship is the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the internet. It may be carried out by governments, private organizations at the behest of government, regulators, or on their own initiative. Individuals and organizations may e... Explore this topic

Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website. Akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook, it is one of the most popular sites in China, in use by well over 30% of Internet users, with a similar market penetration that Twitter has established in the USA. It was launched by SINA ... Explore this topic

Microblogging

Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size. Microblogs "allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, indi... Explore this topic

Bo Xilai

Bo Xilai is a former Chinese politician. He came to prominence through his tenures as the mayor of Dalian and then governor of Liaoning province. From 2004 to November 2007, he served as Minister of Commerce. Between 2007 and 2012 he served as a member of the Central Politburo... Explore this topic

Internet service provider

An Internet service provider is an organization that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect clients to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs are a kind of colocation centre that leases server space to smaller ... Explore this topic

Xinhua News Agency

The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in China. It is the largest news agency in China, ahead of the China News Service. Xinhua is subordinate to the State C... Explore this topic

Chongqing

Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities in the People's Republic of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities, and the only such municipality in inland China. The municipality was crea... Explore this topic

Beijing

Peking ist die Hauptstadt der Volksrepublik China und hat eine über dreitausendjährige Geschichte. Der Name bedeutet Nördliche Hauptstadt. Peking ist heute eine regierungsunmittelbare Stadt, das heißt, sie ist direkt der Zentralregierung unterstellt und damit Provinzen, autono... Explore this topic

LinkAsia

From Beijng to Tokyo, from Seoul to New Delhi and beyond, LinkAsia takes viewers into media about Asia -- from Asia -- offering unfiltered insight into one of the most diverse, fast-paced regions of the globe. Each week, LinkAsia brings you a unique half-hour program that co... Explore this topic

Yul Kwon

Yul Kwon is an American television host and former government official, lawyer, and management consultant based in Virginia. He first gained national recognition as the winner of the reality TV show Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006. He is currently hosting the TV series America ... Explore this topic

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Transcript

Yul Kwon:
So how do you rein in rumors on the internet? The Internet Society of China is proposing that internet companies should do more to police their users. What's this really about? According to CCTV, it's a reaction to the rumors that sprang up when Bo Xilai was fired last month. Since then, more than a thousand people have been arrested for spreading false information online. And the government shut down commenting on microblogs for 72 hours. Here's the official story from CCTV.

Reporter:
This is what the spread of online rumors leads to.

Woman:
I heard salt prices are going up, so I bought ten bags.

Reporter:
At this Lanzhou supermarket, thousand of bags of salt were bought up within 40 minutes, despite no sign of a rise in salt prices.

Shi Xiansheng, Vice Secretary General, China Internet Association:
Some online rumors are very close to public life, such a rising prices, food security, and natural disasters. These rumors touch people's lives.

Reporter:
China's internet association has published a proposal to curb the spread of online rumors. The move follows a temporary shutdown of posting comments on China's popular microblogging web service Weibo after rumors spread last month of an attempted coup in Beijing.

Shi Xiansheng:
The internet brings people convenience, and changes the way of working and living. It is very influential. However, it can also disturb peoples' lives and be harmful to society when it serves as a platform to spread rumors. So we need to have some regulations to curb online rumors.

Reporter:
According to the association, Weibo has more than 800 million users. Experts say the large user base provides channels and opportunities to spread rumors widely and rapidly. Mr. Shi believes that microblogging companies should take responsibility in preventing the spread of online rumors.

Shi Xiansheng:
Website companies, especially big ones, should promote spreading positive information and culture, and delete rumors in time.

Reporter:
He also pointed out that the proposal aims to remind internet users to distinguish rumors from facts.

Yul Kwon:
The Chinese government just announced that it shut down 40 websites and deleted 200,000 comments on social media this past month.