Freedom on laptops and PCs restricted for Chinese residents

From 1st July 2009 every personal computer or laptop sold in China will have a new filtering software installed called Green Dam Youth Escort.

The Chinese government has said that Green Dam’s role is in protecting young PC and laptop users from ‘unhealthy’ and ‘poisonous’ pornographic and violent content. However, experts in Michigan have raised concerns after the software was found to scan for ‘politically sensitive’ phrases.

Home laptops and PC censorship causes uproar

Controlling online content accessed via laptops and PCs in the communist state has long been the cause of controversy. The internet is embedded with sites, such as pornography, which the Chinese government disapproves of. Yet China is one of the most technologically-advanced countries with 300m Chinese internet users, many of whom own a laptop or PC at home.

It’s therefore been a battle for the Chinese government to separate the two. This Green Dam solution, however, doesn’t appear to be resting comfortably with Chinese laptop users.

Bloggers writing from their PCs and laptops have aired their displeasure at being nannied by the state. Hackers have also been out in force, mounting repeated attacks on the website of Green Dam’s developer.

Prior to the Green Dam initiative, the Chinese Government was already supervising internet cafes and had various filtering mechanisms in place across the internet. Could this move be a step too far for the Chinese people?

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