China Backs Off Filtering Software Mandate

Malaysia Looks to Pick Up the Baton, However

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China Backs Off Filtering Software Mandate

Last Thursday, Li Yizhong, the Chinese MInister of Industry and Technology announced that computer users will not have to use the Green Dam anti-pornography software filter.

"After you install the software, you can use it or you can decide not to use it,"

Minister Yizhong said at a news conference, the AFP reported.

Schools and Internet cafes still have to use the software, however.

According to this report in Radio Free Asia, the filtering software saves a screen shot of a user’s browsing history every three minutes, which can then be accessed by an outside server.

However, even as China backs off its Internet filtering plan, Reuters reported early last week that Malaysia is considering its own version to stop pornography.

As reported here, the Malaysian government's move flies in the face of the MSC Malaysia 10 Point Bill of Guarantees, point 7 of which is:

"Ensure no Internet censorship."

I guess point 7 was only a limited time guarantee.

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