China was busy this year combating porn.
According to a CNN.com story, China closed 60,000 websites related to porn, opened up almost 2,200 criminal cases against almost 5,000 people for “who violated Chinese law by disseminating pornography via the internet or mobile phones.”
In 2010 1,332 people received criminal punishment with 58 jailed for five years or more.
The office in charge, “received more than 170,000 tip-offs this year, with 534 people getting rewards totaling $81,964 for providing information”.
The story goes on to say:
“Some 350 million pieces of pornographic and indecent internet content were eliminated. The government launched a special campaign a year ago to rid the internet of pornographic and vulgar content.”
Therefore It seems that not every site that was shut down or every criminal investigation involved running a porn site, but maybe included sending pics of themselves (Brett Favre style allegedly) or even for publish text that are considered Vulgar (I know some domain bloggers who might have wound up in jail).
Critics said the government’s campaign has targeted sites with politically sensitive or user-generated content.
Of course China is not the only place where porn could land you in jail for porn this year.
In the US there are plenty of groups that would like to see the US government put a lot more people in Jail for porn as well, so don’t be shocked to wake up one day and see some attorney general somewhere order the seizure of adult domains.
Speaking of domain seizures and the US, the Kentucky Domain seizure case involving “Gambling” domains is STILL in the courts 2 years after the seizure order was issues by the Governor and there are still motions being filed as recently as this month in the case.
As you know the Office of HomeLand Security was busy seizing domains as well on at least 2 separate occasions this year (here & here) and Congress considered a law allowing more domain seizures.
A great reminder of why we’re so lucky here in the U.S. to have the First Amendment. It’s the only thing protecting the majority from the pro-censorship folks like Tony Nassif.
And you’re right that there’s no reason why another Edwin Meese couldn’t pop up sometime in the future.
That why it is dangerous to visit China or any Islamic countries when you own a porn site.
There is always someone watching you!!!
Why lump in one false accusation of the Canadian/Iranian with illegal site shutdowns?
May I ask you something? Registrar terms prohibit [child] porn and trademark violation. Here is Moniker’s:
As a condition of your use of our services, you agree not to use them for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by this Agreement, and you agree to comply with any applicable local, state, federal and international laws, government rules or requirements.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree that the following is a non-exclusive list of actions that are not permitted when using the services:
•activities designed to encourage unlawful behavior by others, such as hate crimes, terrorism and child pornography;
•the uploading, posting or other transmittal any content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party;
If the Registrars, Registries, and ICANN drop the ball with regard to Registrant compliance, how far should Registrants be allowed to go in pursuit of profits before the government intervenes? Unlimited, it seems, with regard to most of the opinions here!
@Louise: According to the terms you posted, the only reference to porn is child pornography, nothing else.
Along with the Chinese actions, one of the U.S. based extremist organizations linked in the article calls for an all-out ban on anything porn related in the U.S. That’s the free speech issue, not illegal content like child porn.
Google Thomas Reedy + Operation Avalanche.
Happy reading.
1,335 years in prison (reduced to 180 years on appeal) for being an unwitting content intermediary. From the Wikipedia Article-
“Campbell’s articles also indicated that sworn statements provided by Dallas detective Steve Nelson and US postal inspector Michael Mead were false. They testified that entry to the Landslilde site was through a front-page screen featuring a button saying “Click Here (for) Child Porn”. However, the later investigation established that the button was never on the website’s front page. Instead it was on an advertising banner for another website buried deep in the Landslide offerings.”
Granted, Child Pornography is as grotesque as it comes, but that case is a classic example of witch hunt hysterics- and a US Government putting someone in prison for life with no chance at release with no real evidence that they ever intended to break the law, save for what was fabricated and presented as a “maybe”.
@ Louise
Anti-Christ … or Anti-Domainer …
It does seem that your presence
is ALWAYS Anti-Domainer Rights / BUT Pro Big Government
..Good …
because i heard that if the Government should run the Internet
that first thing they will do is CONFISCATE .TV Domains from
the Citizens ( cant have you free broadcasting now, can they)
so you better hide them .TV domains and pray your fascist bunk don’t
come true or you will not have anything to get excited about anymore.
All I know is I read a headline like, In 2010: China Shuts Down 60,000 Sites, 4,500 Criminal Investigations & Sends 1,332 To Jail, and I cheer and think it’s great, to read the article and find it is categorized as a negative trend, by a blogger who I respect and admire. That’s the way it is. Thank God I don’t write the laws. But I don’t write the laws. I don’t have choice, I’m under obligation to obey the laws in this country. Citizens in other countries are under obligation to obey their laws, which may include prohibition against general porn, not just child porn. I’m not a prude – I watched Pretty Woman last night! I admire the conservative cultures the world over, like India they don’t kiss in the movies, but break out in song, and far be it from me to determine their ethics! So what do you have to say about China? Incredible! The US is a stench the world over for a rep of imposing its ethics on other countries. It’s not my fault, it’s just fact. The founding fathers – George Washington and them – warned against foreign involvement, and what does the US do: big policeman over the world!
So, don’t try to convert the Chinese.
“the government’s campaign has targeted sites with politically sensitive or user-generated content.”
Everyone who registered those sites knew the terms and conditions of .cn domains. or should have.
What’s the surprise? All of my .cn’s are fine and none have been seized because they are not porn or anti government related, simple.
As long as you play by the rules there appears to be no problem.
Same potential problems for .in domains. porn sites = you lose the domain.
Happy New Year!!
@sl
“why we’re so lucky here in the U.S. to have the First Amendment.”
can you say “Patriot Act”???
@ Louise
I’m not a prude – I watched Pretty Woman last night!
================
… LOL
@ readthetermsandconditions, thank you for that!
@ MHB, Would you blog about Facebook’s trademark of the word “face?” It’s pretty big, isn’t it?
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78980756
Hasn’t “face” already been used in “telecommunication services, namely, providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users in the field of general interest and concerning social and entertainment subject matter” such as in “face-to-face” chat with regard to mobile phone video chat?
@ Landon White, sorry you’re an unhappy person for delivering an unbelievably cheap shot.
Louise
I have written about Facebook trademark of the word face:
http://www.thedomains.com/2010/11/25/facebook-is-thankful-to-the-trademark-office-as-they-get-awarded-a-trademark-on-face/