China Regulates Internet Cafes

Having the world's second-largest population of Internet users, 137 million people online, makes it a challenge for the government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to regulate this level of activity. Internet censorship in China is conducted under a variety of laws and administrative arrangements, primarily via a firewall, nicknamed the Great Firewall of China, which regulates all PRC Internet traffic. As has been noted in the foreign press, access by tech companies to the PRC market is often conditioned by a foreign company's commitment to assist officials in enforcing the censorship rules of the PRC. In addition, China also requires all Internet cafés to be licensed and patrons must provide identification and register each time they visit. However, it is estimated that more than 60 percent of China's Internet cafés remain unlicensed. According to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, no new Internet cafés will be licensed this year while regulators carry out an industry-wide inspection to see whether the cafés are improperly renting out their licenses or failing to register their customers' identities. For a recent news article, visit: http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_6057098 Summary by: Oren Weichenberg