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China to scan all text messages
Directs Phone Companies To Suspend Services To Users Sending Unhealthy Content
Sharon LaFraniere
Beijing: As the Chinese government expands what it calls a campaign against pornography, cellular companies in Beijing and Shanghai have been told to suspend text services to cell phone users who are found to have sent messages with illegal or unhealthy content, state-run news media reported on Tuesday.
China Mobile, one of the nations largest cellular providers, reported that text messages would automatically be scanned for key words provided by the police, according to state-run China Daily. Messages will be deemed unhealthy if they violate undisclosed criteria established by the central government, the newspaper said.
The increased surveillance of text messages is the latest in a series of government efforts to severely tighten control of the internet and other forms of communication.
Since late last year, China has closed hundreds of websites, including highly popular file-sharing sites, and limited its citizens ability to set up personal websites.
Citing cyber attacks originating from China, Google last week threatened to pull out of the country unless the government lifted censorship of its search results.
It really is quite a programme to seize control of all the new forms of media, one by one, said Jeremy Goldkorn, editor and publisher of Danwei.org, an English-language website about the Chinese media and internet that is currently blocked in China. It has been a bad half year for censorship.
Officials say the new restrictions are necessary to root out pornography, piracy and other law-breaking activity on the internet and in electronic communications. Some analysts suggest that ministries are competing with one another to fulfil the governments demands for stricter controls.
Although China has quietly monitored text messages on cell phones for some time, Kan Kaili, a professor of telecommunications at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, said the new measures appeared broader, more intrusive and more punitive. They are doing wide-ranging checks, checking anything and everything, even if it is between a husband and wife, he said. I dont think people will be very happy about this.
He said the government had established no clear legal definition of unhealthy content. He also said commercial authorities like phone companies, even though governmentowned, should not be involved in checking the contents of private messages.
This is totally wrong, he said. This violates citizens basic rights.
In Beijing, some cell phone users were indignant about the reports. Sun Li, a 29-year-old businesswoman, said: This is against the law. You can block websites for pornography or violence, but texts are from person to person. It has nothing to do with the public.
If this is really so, I cant text anyone anymore, or call anyone, she said.
According to China Daily, the police will evaluate the text messages of users suspected of transmitting unhealthy content, and during that time, China Mobile will suspend the textmessaging function for those phone numbers. If the authorities clear a user of any violation, they will issue a certificate allowing text-messaging services to be resumed.
NYT NEWS SERVICE
Harsh Tones
As part of its moral campaign, China has called on cellular companies to scan all text messages sent in Shanghai and Beijing, and suspend the services of those found messaging dirty texts, photos or videos
According to a state-run daily, the police will evaluate the text messages of users suspected of transmitting unhealthy content, and during that time, China Mobile will suspend the textmessaging function for those phone numbers
The user will get the service restored once the authorities clear him of all violations
Directs Phone Companies To Suspend Services To Users Sending Unhealthy Content
Sharon LaFraniere
Beijing: As the Chinese government expands what it calls a campaign against pornography, cellular companies in Beijing and Shanghai have been told to suspend text services to cell phone users who are found to have sent messages with illegal or unhealthy content, state-run news media reported on Tuesday.
China Mobile, one of the nations largest cellular providers, reported that text messages would automatically be scanned for key words provided by the police, according to state-run China Daily. Messages will be deemed unhealthy if they violate undisclosed criteria established by the central government, the newspaper said.
The increased surveillance of text messages is the latest in a series of government efforts to severely tighten control of the internet and other forms of communication.
Since late last year, China has closed hundreds of websites, including highly popular file-sharing sites, and limited its citizens ability to set up personal websites.
Citing cyber attacks originating from China, Google last week threatened to pull out of the country unless the government lifted censorship of its search results.
It really is quite a programme to seize control of all the new forms of media, one by one, said Jeremy Goldkorn, editor and publisher of Danwei.org, an English-language website about the Chinese media and internet that is currently blocked in China. It has been a bad half year for censorship.
Officials say the new restrictions are necessary to root out pornography, piracy and other law-breaking activity on the internet and in electronic communications. Some analysts suggest that ministries are competing with one another to fulfil the governments demands for stricter controls.
Although China has quietly monitored text messages on cell phones for some time, Kan Kaili, a professor of telecommunications at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, said the new measures appeared broader, more intrusive and more punitive. They are doing wide-ranging checks, checking anything and everything, even if it is between a husband and wife, he said. I dont think people will be very happy about this.
He said the government had established no clear legal definition of unhealthy content. He also said commercial authorities like phone companies, even though governmentowned, should not be involved in checking the contents of private messages.
This is totally wrong, he said. This violates citizens basic rights.
In Beijing, some cell phone users were indignant about the reports. Sun Li, a 29-year-old businesswoman, said: This is against the law. You can block websites for pornography or violence, but texts are from person to person. It has nothing to do with the public.
If this is really so, I cant text anyone anymore, or call anyone, she said.
According to China Daily, the police will evaluate the text messages of users suspected of transmitting unhealthy content, and during that time, China Mobile will suspend the textmessaging function for those phone numbers. If the authorities clear a user of any violation, they will issue a certificate allowing text-messaging services to be resumed.
NYT NEWS SERVICE
Harsh Tones
As part of its moral campaign, China has called on cellular companies to scan all text messages sent in Shanghai and Beijing, and suspend the services of those found messaging dirty texts, photos or videos
According to a state-run daily, the police will evaluate the text messages of users suspected of transmitting unhealthy content, and during that time, China Mobile will suspend the textmessaging function for those phone numbers
The user will get the service restored once the authorities clear him of all violations
I say good move by chiness government, but not for people. 
