Twenty-Four Seven Security

While this isn’t exactly a security issue (unless, of course, you’re high-up in the Chinese government), I’m constantly fascinated by how certain societies struggle to keep a lid on all the information and personal narratives and basically our freedom of information (which also comes with the freedom of misinformation) in this ever-expanding information age.

According to this article I came across, China plans to tighten control over blogs and webcasts that have allowed many Chinese to avoid the government’s censorship efforts. Or, as President Hu Jintao puts it, he wants to “purify” the internet. Thus, the ruling party plans to introduce new regulations targeting blogs and webcasts.

For me, this ties in with something that Bill Gates’ once said, and something I think is one of the true beauties of the internet age. I can’t find the quote, and am in a bit of a hurry, so I’ll have to paraphrase: 20 years ago, I would rather have been an average person from Iowa than a genius from Calcutta. Today, because of opportunities brought on by technology, I would rather be the genius in Calcutta

The head of China's Press and Publication Administration, Long Xinmin, said, "Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government's ability to supervise the Internet."

"Whether we can cope with the Internet is a matter that affects the development of socialist culture, the security of information and the stability of the state," Hu said in January.

Perhaps he should have said what he really means, which is, “Whether we can cope with the Internet is a matter that affects the development of socialist culture, the security of information and the stability of OUR JOBS.”