China scraps mandated filtering software, at least temporarily, amid censorship complaints

June 13th, 2009 Company alleges Chinese software has stolen code SAN FRANCISCO — A California company claims that the Internet-filtering software China has mandated for all new personal computers sold there contains stolen programming code. Solid Oak Software of Santa Barbara said Friday that parts of its filtering software, which is designed for parents, are being used in the "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software that must be packaged with all computers sold in China from July 1.

June 9th, 2009 China defends Web-filtering software requirementBEIJING — China on Tuesday defended a new requirement that personal computers sold in the country carry a software that filters online content, saying the program is targeted at preventing the spread of pornography and other "unhealthy" content. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology posted on its Web site Tuesday a notice to all PC makers that they will be required to pre-load the "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software on units to be sold in China as of July 1, including imported PCs.

July 1st, 2009 China Web controversy highlights public roleBEIJING — Beijing's retreat on its latest Internet-censorship effort highlights the rise of China's increasingly tech-savvy, vocal public as a factor in the authoritarian government's decisions. China gave in late Tuesday to complaints by Web users, manufacturers and foreign governments and postponed a plan to require producers to supply a government-endorsed filtering software known as "Green Dam" with every personal computer sold in China.

June 16th, 2009 BEIJING - Customers purchasing computers in China will have the option of buying or not buying government-sponsored porn-filtering software, an official has said. The China Daily quoted the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)official as saying: "PC makers are only required to save the setup files of the program in the hard drives of the computers, or provide CD-ROMs containing the program with their PC packages." The users have the final say on the installation of the Green Dam-Youth Escort, so it is misleading to say the government compels PC users to use the software, the official clarified.

June 11th, 2009 China defends net filtering software amid outcry BEIJING — Chinese state media on Thursday issued an unprecedented defense of newly required Internet filtering software that must be packaged with every computer sold in China starting next month, after a public outcry at home and abroad. Although the government says the software is aimed at blocking violence and pornography, users who have tried it say it prevents access to a wide range of topics, from discussions of homosexuality to images of comic book characters such as Garfield the cat.

June 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US trade officials sent a letter to their Chinese counterparts Wednesday urging them to revoke an order that requires a controversial internet filtering software to be installed on computers. The Green Dam software, which China will require on all new computers from July 1, could be used to restrict free speech and raises questions about free trade, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a letter to the Chinese government.

July 2nd, 2009 SHANGHAI - Under the controversial Green Dam computer program, China has already installed censorship software in over half-a-million computers. According to a report in The Telegraph, the Green Dam program has been downloaded three million times since the end of March and has been installed on 518,000 computers.

June 30th, 2009 BEIJING - Amid widespread international criticism, China Tuesday announced that it would delay the mandatory installation of the controversial "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software on new computers. The installation was postponed as some computer producers said the process demanded extra time, the ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) said.

June 25th, 2009 China accuses Google of spreading pornographyBEIJING — China accused Google Inc. on Thursday of spreading pornography after Chinese users were unable to connect to the search giant's Web site, while Washington called on Beijing to scrap its order for personal computers to be equipped with Internet-filtering software.

June 25th, 2009 US calls on China to revoke Web filter orderBEIJING — Washington is calling on Beijing to revoke an order to personal computer makers to supply Internet-filtering software with every PC, adding to an array of disputes between the major trading partners. In a letter to Chinese officials, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the order might violate China's free-trade commitments and raise security risks for users, Kirk's office said in a statement Thursday.

June 16th, 2009 China says unpopular filtering software optionalBEIJING — China appeared to cave in to public pressure Tuesday by announcing that computer users are not required to install Internet-filtering software — though it will still come with all PCs sold on the mainland. A Ministry of Industry and Information Technology official reached by telephone told The Associated Press that use of the Green Dam Youth Escort software is "not compulsory." He would not give his name as is customary with Chinese officials.

July 27th, 2009 AT&T says Web site block was not censorshipNEW YORK — AT&T Inc. blocked freewheeling Web site 4chan.org this weekend, leading to accusations of censorship, but the reason for the action turned out to be a routine security measure.

June 25th, 2009 PC makers race to comply with China's Web filterBEIJING — Days before a deadline abruptly imposed by China, computer makers are scrambling to comply with an order to supply Web-filtering software with PCs amid concerns about what it might do to their reputations. Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Inc.

August 14th, 2009 BEIJING - A senior Chinese government official has said that the implementation of the "Green Dam Youth Escort" software, which filters online pornographic, was "not thoughtful enough". The government had demanded in May, through a directive issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), that all personal computer manufacturers should ensure that the filtering software was included with all computers sold in China by July 1.

June 11th, 2009 LONDON - China's plans to censor the Internet by forcing all new computers to be sold with filtering software may put every computer in the country at increased hacking risk, experts have warned. According to Isaac Mao, blogger, social entrepreneur and research fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, the compulsory government software appeared to be plagued with flaws.