China Makes Filtering Software Optional

The Chinese government has said that its citizens can choose whether to use the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software or not, but it will be on all public computers.

It’s just a few months since the Chinese government that all computers in the country would have to be fitted with the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software. And it was only in June that they said all machines sold in the country, including those imported, would need to have the software onboard by July 1.

It all brought an outcry, at home and abroad. That wasn’t helped when it was discovered that the software had flaws that could allow a hacker to take control of all the computers. Finally, on June 30, the Chinese government announced that it was delaying plans to debut the filter.

Now it’s gone even further, saying that citizens can choose whether to use the program or not, although it will be installed and in use on all public computers. The government claimed the software was intended to protect citizens from offensive content.

China’s minister of industry and information technology Li Yizhong said:

"Installation is intended to block violent and pornographic content on the internet to protect children."

"Any move to politicize the issue or to attack China’s internet management system is irresponsible and not in line with reality."