Nationwide Crackdown on Non-Commercial Web Sites Results in Over 130,000 Registrations in Shanghai

The Chinese government's crackdown on private Web sites has resulted in over 130,000 private Web sites registering with government authorities in Shanghai, according to an August 18 article in the People's Post and Telecommunication News. Before the campaign began, fewer than 4,000 non-commercial Web sites in Shanghai had registered with the government, the article said.

Officials have conducted the campaign pursuant to the Registration Administration Measures for Non-Commercial Internet Information Services that the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) promulgated on February 8, 2005. Official efforts have resulted in the closure of thousands of Web sites whose operators failed to register with the MII and public security offices.

As part of the registration process, the MII requires anyone who posts news on their Web site to prove that the Chinese government has authorized them to do so. In addition to requiring Web sites to register with the MII, some large cities in China, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Qingdao, are forcing Web sites to register with public security authorities, citing provisions of the Measures for the Administration of Security Protection of Computer Information Networks with International Interconnections.