China says "no" to Internet rumormongering
Reportedly concerned with the dissemination of rumors on the Worldwide Web, anyone using the Internet to spread malicious rumors in the Chinese municipality of Chongqing is now subject to a fine of up to 1,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan ($126-633) or even detention of five days or more. The recently-enacted regulations seek to bar Chongqing netizens from using the Internet to make "defamatory comments or remarks, launch personal attacks, or seek to damage reputations online." The new regulations follow rules introduced in August by the State Administration for Radio, Film, and Television that restricts video clips satirizing the government and celebrities.
The People's Republic of China and the Internet have had what could best be described as an uneasy relationship since the latter came into existence. The "great firewall of China" is well-known, attempting to filter out content that the Chinese government finds objectionable. Western Internet companies such as Yahoo and Google operate in the country with the government's blessing as long as they conform to government rules. Those companies have heavily criticized by groups such as Amnesty International for their business dealings there.
Earlier this week, a Chinese court convicted dissident Guo Qizhen on charges of inciting subversion. Qizhen was sentenced to four years in prison after posting anti-government essays online. Chongqing's law seems intended as a further crackdown against antigovernment dissent, and may prove to be the forerunner for other, similar laws in other parts of China and nationwide.
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