July 2, 2004
China begins policing of mobile text messages
China is expanding its censorship controls to cover text messages sent using mobile phones, reports BBC.
"New regulations have been issued to allow mobile phone service providers to police and filter messages for pornographic or fraudulent content.
But analysts fear the real targets are political dissidents.
China's authorities are gradually tightening control over the spread of electronic information, particularly on the internet.
A Paris-based group, Reporters without Borders, says the Chinese authorities are increasingly using new technology to control information.
It says one Chinese company marketing a system to monitor mobile phone text messages has announced it is watching for "false political rumours" and "reactionary remarks.
Text messaging has already threatened Beijing's control over information.
Last year, the authorities tried to hide the outbreak of the respiratory disease Sars.
But millions of text messages were sent, alerting people to the virus and exposing the government cover-up.
So far, the new regulations are only being used by one of the country's two mobile phone operators, China Mobile Corporation.
But it controls 65% of the mobile phone market, so these new rules will almost certainly become the industry standard."
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