Ministry of Information Industry Launches Campaign to Censor Cell Phone Short Messaging Systems

The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) will "carry out strict screening of information contents on cellular phones, pagers, and fixed line phones" during October, to "address the increased spread of pornography, superstition, and other unhealthy content," according to an October 7 Beijing News article posted on the Beijing News Web site. The article said that the screening would be done pursuant to the Notice Regarding Further Strengthening Control Over the Dissemination of Harmful Information Over Mobile Telecommunication Networks (Notice), which the MII also issued the same day. According to the Notice, all telecommunication operators and all mobile information service business operators must carry out "self-examination and self-rectification actions to control the dissemination of harmful information," and "[e]xamine each item of transmitted information's heading and content."

The Notice, which the MII addressed to China's primary mobile telecommunication carriers, the MII's own departments, and "all related information service business operators," requires telecommunications operators to increase "real-time monitoring" of all words, sounds, pictures, video, and other information carried over their services, censor any transmissions that contains "provocative language" or information that the state "explicitly prohibits," and terminate access for those who attempt to make such transmissions. The Notice also says that all mobile information service business operators must implement "strict censorship of information content," "increase monitoring and supervision of all transmitted contents," and eliminate all short message service (SMS) advertisements with "harmful contents." The Notice requires operators to report on the results of their intensified surveillance during November.

In an October 11 article about the Notice, the South China Morning Post quoted Carl Hong Jianfei, an analyst at Norson Telecom Consulting, as saying that "Internet surveillance has been strict on the mainland, but on mobile phone messaging it is rather lax. Since last year, a series of actions have been carried out to control text messaging... It's not difficult at all to censor messages by using filters . . . I've learned that the Chongqing government can censor messages one by one."

The Notice and related coverage in the state-run news media have emphasized that authorities intend the campaign to reduce pornographic content on Chinese mobile phone networks. On September 24, the Shenzhen Evening News reported that an official with the MII told the "2005 Summit Meeting on Short Messaging in China" on September 23 that, to deal with those distributing pornography, the MII will issue new rules on short message services before the end of 2005. In addition, after the MII issued the Notice, Xinhua reported that the MII, State Council Information Office, and Ministry of Public Security are launching a joint campaign against obscenity in Internet chatrooms. The MII did not restrict the censorship campaign to obscene expression, however. The Notice is directed at any information that Chinese authorities "explicitly prohibit." Chinese laws include many vague and overbroad content restrictions, such as those against information "harming the honor or the interests of the nation."

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Other indications exist that the Notice forms part of a broader government and Communist Party effort to control the dissemination of political information and opinions. For example, the MII issued the Notice on September 26, one day after MII and the State Council Information Office had jointly issued new rules restricting news reporting through non-government sponsored outlets, including via SMS. Other evidence supporting this interpretation includes:

• In April 2005, when Chinese authorities were trying to stop Chinese citizens from organizing anti-Japanese protests, the People's Daily and the Shanghai Evening Post, a Shanghai Communist Party committee newspaper, published articles warning citizens not to use cell phones to organize "illegal protests" or "spread rumors."
• In May 2005, the Guangming Daily published an editorial entitled "Strengthen Public Sentiment Work, Safeguard the Security of the Ruling Party's Governance" calling on Party cadres to "strengthen the supervision and monitoring of the Internet, cellular phones, and other new forms of media."

At least one observer in China has also expressed concern that Chinese authorities intend this campaign to target political speech: The SCMP's October 11 article cited Zhao Xin as saying that the guidelines are another government effort to restrict freedom of speech. Zhao also questioned what the rules mean by "subjects forbidden by the government." Zhao is a mainland human rights activist who is raising funds to help villagers in Taishi, Guangdong province, continue their legal campaign, according to an October 5 Radio Free Asia report.