PC firms face China decree (The Australian)

[Drew Wilson]

CHINA plans to require that all personal computers sold in the country as of July 1 be shipped with software that blocks access to certain websites, a move that could give government censors unprecedented control over how Chinese users access the internet.

The government, which has told international PC makers of the requirement but has yet to publicly announce it, says the effort is aimed at protecting young people from "harmful" content.

The software must either be preinstalled on the hard drive or enclosed on a compact disc. Chinese executives involved in the effort say the software is intended to block access to pornography.

But the Chinese government's history of censoring a broad range of web content has raised concern among some foreign industry officials and the US government that the new effort could significantly increase the government's control over Internet access in China. Industry executives also warn that the software could cause PCs in China to malfunction, and could make them more vulnerable to hacking.

More...

In other words, look for this kind of mandated technology in Australia in 2011, in England and in France in 2012 and in the United States in 2025.:thumbsdown:

[mountain_rage]

CHINA plans to require that all personal computers sold in the country as of July 1 be shipped with software that blocks access to certain websites, a move that could give government censors unprecedented control over how Chinese users access the internet.

The government, which has told international PC makers of the requirement but has yet to publicly announce it, says the effort is aimed at protecting young people from "harmful" content.

The software must either be preinstalled on the hard drive or enclosed on a compact disc. Chinese executives involved in the effort say the software is intended to block access to pornography.

But the Chinese government's history of censoring a broad range of web content has raised concern among some foreign industry officials and the US government that the new effort could significantly increase the government's control over Internet access in China. Industry executives also warn that the software could cause PCs in China to malfunction, and could make them more vulnerable to hacking.

More...

In other words, look for this kind of mandated technology in Australia in 2011, in England and in France in 2012 and in the United States in 2025.:thumbsdown:

I'll just sit at my desk in the corner, and write in my diary instead of surfing the internet once this is fully implemented.