China's new net controls: more than window dressing?

(My overview at Tidbits)

The Chinese Ministry of Information Industry and the State-Council, issued last Sunday new regulations on the Internet. At first glance it looked like a marginal update of restrictions that are already in place since the year 2000 and limits the scope of news sites to a large degree to repackaging news that has already been published by the printed state-owned media. But details emerging on Monday, beyond the original Xinhua dispatch indicates that the new regulations are not only a marginal revamp, but include new restrictions that indicate where China's leadership sees new threats. Websites that have gotten into hot water might not get their annual license renewed. Also, as the New York Times reports, running email-services will be banned by individuals or groups, unless they have registered with the relevant departments.

Since news organizations need, according to the Shanghai Daily, a registered capital of USD 1.25 million and a staff of at least five experienced reporters, officially setting up an email service might get tougher. The Ming Pao in Hong Kong says the new regulations increased the number of 'unhealthy' categories from nine to eleven, adding news on un-registered NGO's and unauthorized assemblies. The question is whether the new regulations should be taken serious or are merely window dressing, as national regulations executed on a local level often lack substantial impact in China. It does show what direction official worries take in China.

Have also a look at this rant of Danwei's Jeremy: Why Yahoo is good for freedom in China and a boycot only servers "the domestic anti-corporate agenda" of Americans.