A plan that would require personal computer developers to supply internet-filtering software has been
postponed Tuesday. The controversial rule that has been protested by Washington and Chinese web surfers, will be delayed however, the government’s Xinhua News Agency has not given a timeframe of when the plan would be implemented and gave no details as to why it has been postponed.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will "delay the mandatory installation of the "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software on new computers."
Civil liberties advocated everywhere have stated that the plan is censorship and an attack on free-speech. Due to worries that this could be a possible trade barrier, American diplomats have met with Chinese officials to express such concerns.
The internet-filter initiative will be known as Green Dam-Youth Escort and it is, according to the Chinese government, a shield for children to protect them from violence and obscene material on the World Wide Web. Since being reported, Chinese citizens have circulated petitions across the internet to gain support of stopping this, according to analysts, filter that would block government dissent and political opposition.
As of 2008, China has the largest internet use than
any other nation with just under 300 million users. The Chinese communist government does promote usage of the internet for business and education but officials want to block access to subversive substance.
The Chinese economy has one of the fastest growing markets for major personal computer manufacturing makers with 80 percent of world production.
Already monitoring has tightly grown; the Health Ministry allowed access to sexually oriented topics only to medical professionals and not the general public.
Currently Green Dam is in internet cafes and installed in personal computers at the beginning of the year.
