China Warned About Olympics Internet Access

The International Olympic Committee has told Chinese authorities that it expects Internet access will be open for the duration of this summer's Olympic Games.

Inspectors for the International Olympic Committee have told Chinese authorities that they expect China to offer unrestricted Internet access for the duration of the Olympic games—as stipulated in the host city contract Beijing committed to when it was selected as host for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

China runs the most extensive Internet surveillance and censorship operation on the planet, routinely restricting Chinese citizens’ access to information and media sources around the world. The Chinese government is usually the first cited in reports decrying net censorship and online speech restrictions: China has imprisoned online journalists and bloggers critical of the Beijing government or who speak out in favor of democracy; more recently, China has shut down access to sites carrying information on unrest in Tibet.

More than 30,000 members of the world media are expected to be on-hand for the Beijing Olympics, and IOC coordination commission vice chair Kevan Gosper told reporters that the IOC has “discussed and insisted again” that unrestricted Internet access be available for the duration of the Olympic games. Gsoper said he is “confident” the Chinese understand and will provide open Internet access, including changing their legislation to accommodate the Olympic Games.

Changes to Chinese law easing restrictions on foreign media in China went into effect January 1, but will expire in October after the Olympic Games have concluded.

The IOC coordination commission is holding its tenth and final inspection of the Olympic Games preparation in Beijing this week, including meetings with Beijing organizers.