Shanghai Government to Shut Down All Web Sites Not Registered by May 25

June 1, 2005

The Shanghai Municipal Communications Administration (SMCA) will shut down any "non-commercial Internet information provider" that has not registered with the government by May 25, according to an article in the Shanghai Liberation Daily dated May 10. The article reports that the SMCA would act in accordance with the Registration Administration Measures for Non-Commercial Internet Information Services that the Ministry of Information Industry promulgated on February 8, 2005. These measures prohibit the operation of an unregistered non-commercial Internet information service in China.

China's Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services defines a "non-commercial Internet information provider" as "any service activity in which one utilizes the Internet to provide public, shared information to Internet users through the Internet without compensation."

Shanghai's announcement follows a similar one made by Guangzhou's Public Security Office on April 28.