Surfwatch and other Internet ratings systems

[Howard White]

>Howard White <hwhite at ccs.neu.edu>
>|Subjects of the experiment - one billion humans
>|Censorship solution providers - the best vendors of the Unitied States &
>Europe
>|The client - the Government of the People's Republic of China
>

Just following up. Sorry for the cross post from another list (Cyberpunkers).

   WSJ, 15 February 1996:

   China Tells Internet Users To Register With Police

   Beijing (AP) - China ordered all users of the Internet and
   other international computer networks to register with the
   police, as part of an effort to tighten control over
   information.

   The order came in a circular issued by the Ministry of
   Public Security, according to the state-run Xinhua News
   Agency.

   Xinhua didn't give a date by which current users must
   register but said new users and those switching or
   terminating services must inform police within 30 days. It
   was unclear how foreigners would be affected.

   The rules haven't been published in detail, but previous
   Xinhua reports warned network users not to harm national
   security, reveal state secrets or disseminate pornography.

   China embarked on a broad crackdown on Internet users and
   other sources of information potentially harmful to
   government interests in December.

   The Ministry of Post Telecommunications was made the sole
   provider of channels connecting Chinese computer users with
   international networks.

   -----

   Financial Times, 15 February, 1996

   Cyberlaws [Editorial]

   Communication *sans frontieres*. To the Internet's fans
   that is the essence of its appeal. But to anyone putting
   information on the Internet's World Wide Web, its global
   nature is the cause of a growing headache: how to uphold
   intellectual property rights to the rivers of information
   pouring over its wires.

   Online computer systems such as the Net are among the
   fastest growing ways to distribute information -- music and
   pictures as well as words and numbers. But existing
   copyright laws deal inadequately with digital transmission.
   Regulation is complicated by the way that information
   downloaded in one country can have originated almost
   anywhere in the world. The $35bn-a-year music industry now
   believes that digital copyright abuse is a big future
   threat to its revenues.

   The century-old Berne convention on copyright and the
   General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade represent a degree
   of international agreement on the treatment of such issues.
   However, many countries are not signatories, while
   standards of intellectual property protection vary widely
   among those which have signed.

   Moreover, there are technological problems in enforcing
   agreements even where they exist. At present, it is often
   difficult to identify both those who have accessed
   information, and those who have entered it on the Net.
   Given that problem, some groups want companies providing
   Internet access to be responsible for upholding rules,
   rather than users or publishers. But this is highly
   unattractive: service providers will be unaware of much on
   the Net.

   The currently imperfect state of protection is one reason
   why much cyberinformation is junk, of value to almost
   nobody, deposited partly to stir up interest in paidfor
   services beyond the Net. However, new ways to restrict
   access to parts of the Net, and to charge for subscriptions
   to that information, may address that shortcoming.
   Companies are also working on "electronic tags" which will
   show whether information is passed to unauthorised users.

   If such technological developments bear fruit, the whole
   game may change. The mainstay of the Internet may no longer
   be information already published in another medium.
   Instead, publishers could put material of real value on the
   Net, knowing they would be paid. Other media may be
   squeezed as the Internet assumes some of their role.

   In this respect, copyright problems are a symptom of the
   Internet's immaturity, rather than a sign that electronic
   sophistication has made regulation impossible. The Net
   itself is a creation of technology, not policy, and the
   solutions to this problem are more likely to be
   technological than legal. But solutions must be found if
   the Net is to realise its enormous commercial potential.

   -----

   FT has a front page article on what China may do if
   the US imposes sanctions for copyright violations. It
   includes overtures by the Chinese to Britain to reap the
   benefits of shutting down US businesses in retaliation.
   Noting the well-oiled handover of Hong Kong to China as
   an example of the mutual benefits of imperialist most-
   favored status, and sharing tips and tricks of crackdown
   on civil disorder.

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            Howard White, PC Tech Coor., Northeastern University
       <a href=http://155.33.211.90/>The Cyberspace Identity Portal</a>