According to Reuters, China has launched a crackdown on websites, with officials accusing search engines including Baidu and Google of spreading pornography and vulgarity, saying repeat violators and those that had a “malign influence” might be exposed, punished or shut down.

China’s Ministry of Public Security and six other government agencies announced the campaign at a meeting on Monday, state television reported, showing officials hauling digital equipment away from one unidentified office.

The meeting “decided to launch a nationwide campaign to clean up a vulgar current on the Internet and named and exposed a large number of violating public morality and harming the physical and mental health of youth and young people,” the report said.

The 19 Internet operators and websites named at the meeting had failed to swiftly purge “vulgar” content and ignored warnings from censors, the television report said.

“If they (users) find content that is contrary to Chinese law, they can report it to Google. And if we find it’s truly illegal, we’ll deal with it according to the law,” said Cui.

“Some websites have exploited loopholes in laws and regulations,” said Cai Mingzhao, a deputy chief of the State Council Information Office.

“They have used all kinds of ways to distribute content that is low-class, crude and even vulgar, gravely damaging mores on the Internet.”

Cai told officials to “fully grasp the gravity and threat of the vulgar current infesting the Internet” and said law-breakers faced “stern punishment”.