By Justin Lee, theWHIR.com
October 31, 2008 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The regulating body of China’s Internet policy called for the shutdown of 10 online video websites on Tuesday, and warned 17 others, as it resumes its aggressive stance against such sites after a fairly relaxed summer, according to reports by the IDG News Service.
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the executive branch under the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, explained on its website that according to “Internet Audio Video Program Service Management Regulations,” “there are still some websites posting audio and video programs containing pornography, violence and terror, endangering national security.”
The 10 sites in question include smaller local sites, such as TVSou.com, TSXZ.com and Feesee.com.
The regulating branch also warned 17 more sites to adhere to SARFT regulations, including VeryCD.com, JPSeek.com, and 371dvd.com.
Though these online video sites are popular, users often post content that some might find politically subversive or pornographic. One of the three largest sites, 56.com, found itself offline in June for over a month for not operating without a license.
To reduce the possibility of being shutdown, many of the websites’ operators hire a content screening staff to sort through the posted material and take down any sensitive videos.
The communist republic is known for its active censorship of politically subversive Internet content. In the past, the Chinese government has cut access to various Tibetan protest sites and blogs that criticize the Chinese government, as well as working with Google to censor search results.
Earlier this week, the Thailand government announced its plans to implement a firewall to block websites that are considered offensive to the country’s monarch, as well as sites that display inappropriate content.
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