282
China
affairs.
97 The revised law was passed in April, on the heels of the Google-China confl ict,
and took effect in October. Under Article 28 of the law, Internet and other public
information network operators and service providers are required to cooperate with
the state in investigating leaked secrets when the information involving the secret has
been published on the Internet or other public information networks. In such cases,
companies are required to cease transmission of the information immediately, and
maintain and disclose records to public security organs, state security organs, or relevant departments that guard state secrets.
98 According to a Beijing-based lawyer,
“ Such regulation will leave users with no secrets at all, since the service providers have
no means to resist the police. ”
99 In the past, the law has been invoked to target journalists, activists, and dissidents, like journalist Shi Tao, who sent an e-mail from his
personal Yahoo! account to a prodemocracy group based in the United States, summarizing a government-issued directive on how to manage the 15th anniversary of
the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned
when Yahoo! disclosed his identity to authorities.
100
Beyond legal restrictions to control Internet use, the state has also launched campaigns to clean up Internet use. These campaigns may be organized around a specifi c
issue area (such as online gambling) during key politically sensitive events (such as
the lead-up to the 17th Party Congress in 2007).
101 In 2010, Chinese authorities
launched campaigns against online gambling and pornography and Web sites promoting or selling illegal drugs. In December 2009, authorities initiated an antipornography
campaign that shut down more than 60,000 Web sites, deleted over 350 million pornographic and lewd online articles, pictures, and videos, and rounded up 4,965 suspects by the end of the year. Of these suspects, 1,332 were found criminally liable,
and 58 were jailed for fi ve or more years.
102 In the same year, the state launched a
campaign against Web sites promoting or selling illegal drugs as a part of a nationwide
effort to stamp out the production and distribution of counterfeit drugs or drugs that
violated intellectual property rights.
103 As a result, 290 Web sites were shut down.
Similarly, a February 2010 campaign against online gambling led to 3,430 suspects
rounded up and 670 online gambling Web sites shut down.
104
Surveillance
The PRC continues to refi ne Internet surveillance mechanisms to monitor users ’ activities. The Golden Shield project — a digital surveillance network with almost complete
coverage across public security units nationwide — is the pillar of China ’ s surveillance
regime.
105 Its use of identifi cation cards with scannable computer chips and photos
further allows the state to effectively police citizens. Since 2006, local governments
have been developing “ Safe City ” surveillance and communications networks that
connect police stations through video surveillance, security cameras, and back-end
China
affairs.
97 The revised law was passed in April, on the heels of the Google-China confl ict,
and took effect in October. Under Article 28 of the law, Internet and other public
information network operators and service providers are required to cooperate with
the state in investigating leaked secrets when the information involving the secret has
been published on the Internet or other public information networks. In such cases,
companies are required to cease transmission of the information immediately, and
maintain and disclose records to public security organs, state security organs, or relevant departments that guard state secrets.
98 According to a Beijing-based lawyer,
“ Such regulation will leave users with no secrets at all, since the service providers have
no means to resist the police. ”
99 In the past, the law has been invoked to target journalists, activists, and dissidents, like journalist Shi Tao, who sent an e-mail from his
personal Yahoo! account to a prodemocracy group based in the United States, summarizing a government-issued directive on how to manage the 15th anniversary of
the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned
when Yahoo! disclosed his identity to authorities.
100
Beyond legal restrictions to control Internet use, the state has also launched campaigns to clean up Internet use. These campaigns may be organized around a specifi c
issue area (such as online gambling) during key politically sensitive events (such as
the lead-up to the 17th Party Congress in 2007).
101 In 2010, Chinese authorities
launched campaigns against online gambling and pornography and Web sites promoting or selling illegal drugs. In December 2009, authorities initiated an antipornography
campaign that shut down more than 60,000 Web sites, deleted over 350 million pornographic and lewd online articles, pictures, and videos, and rounded up 4,965 suspects by the end of the year. Of these suspects, 1,332 were found criminally liable,
and 58 were jailed for fi ve or more years.
102 In the same year, the state launched a
campaign against Web sites promoting or selling illegal drugs as a part of a nationwide
effort to stamp out the production and distribution of counterfeit drugs or drugs that
violated intellectual property rights.
103 As a result, 290 Web sites were shut down.
Similarly, a February 2010 campaign against online gambling led to 3,430 suspects
rounded up and 670 online gambling Web sites shut down.
104
Surveillance
The PRC continues to refi ne Internet surveillance mechanisms to monitor users ’ activities. The Golden Shield project — a digital surveillance network with almost complete
coverage across public security units nationwide — is the pillar of China ’ s surveillance
regime.
105 Its use of identifi cation cards with scannable computer chips and photos
further allows the state to effectively police citizens. Since 2006, local governments
have been developing “ Safe City ” surveillance and communications networks that
connect police stations through video surveillance, security cameras, and back-end