China pays 2 million to monitor Internet

[Coltsfan]

China pays 2 million to monitor Internet

AFP - China is employing two million people to keep tabs on people's Internet use, according to state media, in a rare glimpse into the secret world of Beijing's vast online surveillance operation.

Many of the employees are simply performing keyword searches to monitor the tens of millions of messages being posted daily on popular social media and microblogging sites, the Beijing News said.

The exact number of people employed to trawl through the Internet in a bid to prevent social unrest and limit criticism of the ruling Community party has long been the subject of speculation.

The "web police" are employed by the government's propaganda arm, as well as by commercial sites, the Beijing News said.

It said that despite their large number, the monitors are not always able to prevent comments that are deemed by the government to be undesirable from being published and reposted.

China's censorship authorities tightly control online content for fear of political or social unrest that could challenge the Communist party's grip on power.

Authorities in recent years banned the popular social media sites Facebook and Twitter, which were instrumental in the wave of uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa from late 2010 in what became known as the Arab Spring.

Last year authorities blocked The New York Times after it cited financial records showing relatives of former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had controlled assets worth at least $2.7 billion -- a report China branded a smear.

In recent months authorities have ramped up already strict censoring of domestic social media sites such as the popular microblog service Sina Weibo.

They have detained hundreds of people for spreading "rumours" online, and warned high-profile bloggers with millions of followers to post more positive comments.

The Supreme Court said this month that Internet users could face three years in jail if "slanderous" information spread online is viewed more than 5,000 times or forwarded more than 500 times.

China has more than 500 million Internet users, making it the world's largest online population.

China pays 2 million to monitor Internet - FRANCE 24

 

[dray]

I don't know how it feels when one cannot protest openly about Govt. actions, or cannot express personal opinion in fear of persecution. I would feel helpless.

Respect to Liu Xiaobo and thousands of others who are fighting for the freedom of speech and democracy.

 

[sweetgrape]

2 million? woo, rich CPC, but too fool, why not like USA, employ high-educated, could monitor the internet more efficiently hehe.

 

[Coltsfan]

2 million? woo, rich CPC,

You don't have to be rich to pay peanuts

but too fool, why not like USA, employ high-educated, could monitor the internet more efficiently hehe.

I guess you didn't read the part about the online posting being "slanderous" if its viewed 5000 times or forwarded 500 times. Chinese can't even imagine what true freedom really is.

PS: Are you one of the "2 million"?

 

[sweetgrape]

You don't have to be rich to pay peanuts



I guess you didn't read the part about the online posting being "slanderous" if its viewed 5000 times or forwarded 500 times. Chinese can't even imagine what true freedom really is.

PS: Are you one of the "2 million"?

I think you have the "answer", my "answer" is not important for you, hehe!

as to "true freedom", maybe we don't know it well, but india-style freedom scare me, I know you are ver proud of it that you inherit from Britain, enjoy it.

As to the part you said, I know it, slandering someone in china will be arrested, I know indian will fed up with these, you know big mouth like talking, read rumor, and make rumor, enjoy it!

 

[Jade]

Is that the reason why Chinese are present 24/7 on PDF and other internet forum, earning a living.

 

[shuttler]

Is that the reason why Chinese are present 24/7 on PDF and other internet forum, earning a living.

the description is a perfect fit for indians

most if not all of our countrymen are having fun on pdf. they are well off enough to take on indian trolls as lackeys

 

[Coltsfan]

Is that the reason why Chinese are present 24/7 on PDF and other internet forum, earning a living.

Obviously, as you can see Chinese haven't disputed that report........... but started trolling instead!

 

[chhota bheem]

the description is a perfect fit for indians

most if not all of our countrymen are having fun on pdf. they are well off enough to take on indian trolls as lackeys

Good to know having your fun atleast on PDF.

 

[gambit]

Is that the reason why Chinese are present 24/7 on PDF and other internet forum, earning a living.

Actually, this forum is a breath of fresh air for them. I may joke about them being part of the '50-cent army', who knows if such truly exists or not, but this place offers freedoms and knowledge they know they could never experience in China. For the first time, they probably know what true and free intellectual discourses are like. They can engage in it as well as being able to put on a nationalistic front for all to see.

 

[Jade]

the description is a perfect fit for indians

most if not all of our countrymen are having fun on pdf. they are well off enough to take on indian trolls as lackeys

Chinese and fun...Nah....they don't go together.

 

[Kolaps]

FRANCE 24's hypocrite!

Before accusing other for internet monitoring, France should see himself in the mirror.

Beside China's internet monitoring is a very good thing for China.

 

[BigDaddyWatch]

This shows you how far behind China is they should have super computers sift through the internet like the NSA does.

 

[chhota bheem]

FRANCE 24's hypocrite!

Before accusing other for internet monitoring, France should see himself in the mirror.

Beside China's internet monitoring is a very good thing for China.

Thats true monitoring is good for few , and we all know who it is and why?

 

[gambit]

This shows you how far behind China is they should have super computers sift through the internet like the NSA does.

Buddy, when people talk about monitoring the Internet, China comes to the fore, despite the NSA's shenanigans. People know that the NSA can be shut down but not the Chinese government who in fact have the authority and the power to shut down the Chinese people's access to the Internet.

So when people talk about China and the Internet, the NSA pales in comparison to this...

Beijing To Crack Down On Social Media 'Slanderous Rumors' : The Two-Way : NPR

A court's interpretation says the spread of such rumors could automatically incur a three-year prison term, but if the post is read by 5,000 or more people and/or shared more than 500 times, the penalty could jump to 10 years in jail.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/10/china-social-media-jail-rumours

Analysts say the new law could send a chill through China's online communities, which have been used with increasing frequency as a platform for reporting official malfeasance.

"This gives every corrupt local official a convenient tool to arrest anyone who criticises him," said Michael Anti, a prominent blogger and media commentator in Beijing. "It means the end of the online anti-corruption movement."

Unlike a similar internet crackdown in 2011 that mainly targeted dissidents and activists, the new law casts a wider net. Many writers, celebrities and internet entrepreneurs have millions of Weibo followers, and many will have to exercise greater caution in their posts, Anti said.

"This kind of political campaign, the anti-rumour campaign, can really create a chilling effect on the blogosphere," he said.

Users of China's popular Twitter-like Sina Weibo microblogging site expressed anger about the new rules.

"It's far too easy for something to be reposted 500 times or get 5,000 views. Who is going to dare say anything now?" wrote one Weibo user.

"This interpretation is against the constitution and is robbing people of their freedom of speech," wrote another.

It has been reported that local police have used this law to suppress the spread of local news that could prove damaging to the image of local Party officials or even to the point of arresting people for accidentally spreading wrong information of traffic accidents as 'rumors' or 'slander' or 'defamation'. Ten years for miscounting how many cars were involved in a fender-bender? And you want to talk about the NSA? But of course, talking about the NSA offers your fellow Chinese escape from the oppressiveness they have to live under and even pretends to support for the public face.