Pre-Emptive Measures
Recently, a law has passed in China that requires all personal computers to come pre-installed with Internet filtering software. This has forced all computer makers to load their computers up with all sorts of software that block and censor “sensitive” sites. This could be a variety of things, as “sensitive” is a very subjective word.
The state run newspaper, Liberation Daily, insists that this new addition to all computers is to shield young people from “possibly harmful influences.” All throughout the week, this new act has sparked a fair amount of controversy, and some believe it is just China, once again, finding a way to censor things they don’t want the public to see.
China has a spotted past with censoring, and riding the thin line of people’s rights. Their history of blocking sites they deem inappropriate is often referred to as “The Great Firewall of China.”
While these new installments on the computer might just be an annoying block of e-freedom, after having been tried and tested, this new software causes some major security problems. It is possible that some interloper could actually hijack the computer, and take control, according to the University of Michigan. It also found that the text filter cut out simple expletives, and banned practices, such as those advocated by Falun Gong.
People all over have been questioning what gives China the right to demand that all computer manufacturers have to install the software, and the citizens wonder why it has to be installed at all. They also wonder what the nation will say about the privacy and security risks that this invasive technology presents.
The organization that instated this practice defends themselves though, saying 80 percent of all middle schools in China have installed the software, and are all satisfied with it. Also, they say that most every public school will be equipped with the software by the next school year.
