Wednesday

22nd Mar 2023

EU condemns Chinese roll-out of internet censorship software

  • Chinese authorities say the software is necessary to prevent children accessing pornographic websites (Photo: Johannes Jansson//norden.org)

The European commission added its voice to growing condemnation of Chinese plans to enforce the use of its 'Green Dam' filtering software on Thursday (25 June) and urged the country's authorities to postpone the decision.

Chinese officials say the mass installment of the internet filter is necessary to stop children gaining access to pornographic websites, while critics counter that it would enable the country's Communist Party to spy on internet users and block access to politically sensitive websites.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"The aim of this internet filter, contrary to what Chinese authorities contend, is clearly to censor the internet and limit freedom of expression," the commission's spokesman for information society and media, Martin Selmayr, told EUobserver.

Last month, China's ministry of industry and information technology announced that all personal computers sold in China from 1 July onwards must be installed with the Green Dam internet-filtering software.

"China's insistence that the Green Dam filter be installed in new computers proves once again that censorship takes place in this country," said Mr Selmayr.

"China cannot compete with other powers of the world only at the economic level without paying attention to freedom of expression," he added.

The announcement will add to pressure on the Chinese government to reverse its decision, with US trade representative Ron Kirk and commerce secretary Gary Locke lodging a formal complaint with their Chinese counterparts on Wednesday.

Mr Kirk said US companies had been given very little time to comply with the request for all computers sold to China to be pre-installed with the Green Dam software and suggested the US might file a complaint with the World Trade Organisation.

US companies have also expressed their unwillingness to be complicit in any form of political censorship.

Iranian tensions intensify debate

The issue of internet censorship has been propelled further into the foreground this week following the extensive use of the internet by Iranian citizens as a means to protest against last Sunday's presidential elections that many claim were fraudulent.

Opposition groups have used the micro-blogging site Twitter and social networking sites such as Facebook to organise protests and share information.

Such homegrown protest would be more difficult to organise in countries such as China where the internet comes in for greater censorship.

As Iranian authorities step up efforts to stifle use of certain websites however, the country's citizens are increasingly turning to counter-censorship software designed by Chinese computer engineers living in America to access the restricted sites.

Access to the world's leading search engine, Google, was temporarily blocked in China on Wednesday evening, a further indication of the Chinese government's growing crackdown.

The country's official news agency, Xinhua, published an article accusing Google of displaying links to "pornographic" websites among its search results.

Speaking about the Green Dam software on Thursday, Mr Selmayr said: "We urge China to postpone the implementation of this mandate and request that a meeting is organised at technical level to better understand what is at stake."

EU Commission in damage control over Qatar-paid flights

The European Commission is imposing new rules to restrict free trips paid for by countries like Qatar, following revelations that its director-general of transport not only accepted such flights — but had also cleared himself of any conflict of interest.

Opinion

Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown

Turkey goes to the polls in May for both a new parliament and new president, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided against a post-earthquake postponement. The parliamentary outcome is easy to predict — the presidential one less so.

Opinion

When geopolitics trump human rights, we are all losers

The EU must back the UN's Human Rights 75 initiative at the end of the year to rekindle the spirit of the original declaration made in 1948 — and also demand a similar recommitment from all its 27 members.

Latest News

  1. EU Parliament joins court case against Hungary's anti-LGBTI law
  2. Three French MEPs to stay on election-observation blacklist
  3. Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown
  4. When geopolitics trump human rights, we are all losers
  5. EU starts talks on 11th round of Russia sanctions
  6. EU fears Tunisia turmoil will spark migrant boat departures
  7. 'Symbolic' Putin indictment gets some EU backing
  8. 'Final warning' to act on climate change, warns IPCC

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us