China’s cultural minister has called for tighter controls on the internet, including 24-hour surveillance and urging people to tell on each other, state media said on Friday.
During a recent national meeting on “rectifying” internet bars or cafés, Sun Jiazheng hinted that the government’s efforts to manage soaring internet use had not been sufficient, the Xinhua news agency website said.
And in a sign that authorities are finding it hard to keep a grip on the almost unlimited opportunities provided by the internet, Sun asked Chinese people for help.
“Managing internet bars requires centralised measures, the people’s prevention and monitoring and thorough control,” Sun was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
Despite government restrictions, China is second only to the US for the number of people online. The number of users rose to 79,5-million by December 2003 from 59,1-million in December 2002 — up by 34,5%.
Sun said regional cultural, finance, police, industry and commerce departments are to reward people for reporting about illegal internet use.
He did not specify what illegal use means, but in China it covers a broader spectrum than other countries, with people being jailed for posting essays calling for democracy and political reform on the internet.
Sun also called for “using long-range computer surveillance systems to carry out 24-hour, real-time monitoring of the internet bars”, Xinhua said.
He said internet bars should be “standardised” by establishing chains, instead of the small, difficult-to-regulate, hole-in-the-wall cafés that have popped up all over China — even in remote reserves for giant pandas.
Illegal internet cafés, those that allow minors to enter, and those that let people spread “harmful” information are the three most serious problems, Sun said.
The ministry will send out inspection teams to ensure local governments are performing their duties, the report said, and set up monitoring systems for industry and general society.
He added that managing the internet is a “long-term” and “arduous” task.
Local governments are reluctant to shut down internet cafés — which are popular with a young clientele that makes friends and play games online — as they generate tax revenue. — Sapa-AFP