Essay about Censorship Laws and Practices in China

Censorship Laws and Practices in China Introduction China joined the global Internet age in 1994, and has been commercially available since 1995. Since then, Chinese Internet usage has seen explosive growth, doubling every six months, and the number of online users is only second to the US. The Internet age ushered in the information age with a new world of freedom and expression for the Chinese. However, soon after its inception, the Chinese government has reined in the free wheeling Internet users and has imposed new laws and restrictions to access and content on the Internet. It is interesting to note that some of the new Internet regulations contradict International Laws signed by the Chinese government. China signed the†¦show more content†¦Now any website or web service also had to monitor and self-sensor any information from their services that might contain material that might be harmful to the state. In the same year â€Å"The Measures for Managing Internet Information Services† outlined what and how hosts should monitor Internet traffic. This document explicitly stated which forms of speech are not expectable. Any speech or information, harmful to the state, containing differing views on religion, or those that may cause disorder or lead to national disunity have been stated. In, 2001, the Internet censorship laws went to the ultimate extreme. If state secrets are exported from China, the government can impose harsh penalties such as imprisonment and confiscation all belongings, and in extreme cases, the death penalty. In 2002, China banned those under the age of 18 from using Internet cafes. Internet cafe users are banned from viewing websites pose threats to â€Å"state security† i.e. websites with violence, sexuality, or heretic messages. The Chinese government had enforced these rules and regulations through blocking, filtering and shutting down Internet cafes. According to Amnesty International, the Chinese government routinely blocks news sites, especially those with dissident views or banned groups. Anniversary’s such as the 1989 pro-democracy protests are heavily guarded days that see increase Internet blocking. Internet blocking of major search gateways is alsoShow MoreRelatedThe Journalistic Practices Of China1024 Words   |  5 PagesThe journalistic practices in China, or the People’s Republic of China, are heavily impacted by the on-going turbulence within their political situation and the control exerted by their political leaders. Through extensive research, I have found that the political situation in China can be classified as extremely restrictive, especially concerning journalism and news media as a whole, due to the communist rule currently implemented by president Xi Jinping of the Chi nese Communist Party. 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