With the issues of net neutrality, a free child friendly high speed service and other related net issues I thought this was interesting.

Anyone have any thoughts?

China launched a major crackdown on internet pornography today targeting popular search engines such as Google.

Seven government agencies will work together on the campaign to “purify the internet’s cultural environment and protect the healthy development of minors,” said a statement by the information office of the State Council, China’s Cabinet.

Pornography is banned in China, although the government’s internet police struggle to block websites based abroad.

The government announcement said Google and Baidu, China’s two most heavily used search engines, had failed to take “efficient” measures after receiving notices from the country’s internet watchdog that they were providing links to pornographic material.

The statement also named popular web portals Sina and Sohu, as well as a number of video sharing sites and online bulletin boards, that it said contain photos, blogs and postings.

A Google spokeswoman in China defended the site’s operations, saying it was a search engine and did not generate any pornographic content. The company obeys Chinese law, she said.

“If we find any violation, we will take action. So far, I haven’t seen any examples of violations,” she said.

China has the world’s largest population of internet users with more than 250 million. The central government has blocked access to many websites it considers subversive or too political.

Beijing loosened some media and internet controls during last year’s Summer Olympics - gestures that were meant to show the international community that the games had brought greater freedom to the Chinese people.

During the August games, China allowed access to long-barred websites such as the BBC and Human Rights Watch.

AP

but lead in toys and melamine in baby milk is okay

China condemns the people who mess with products. One was killed for his participation last year for taking bribes to pass certain products. His surviving family is in shame. There is a guy getting in trouble now with Chinese officials for the milk situation, and I'll just bet you they put HIM to death as well.

The things there that are happening are very bad, and although I do not believe in a lot of what the government does, they do not tolerate what has occurred with regard to their trade. So much of their livlihood as a country depends on exports, so to mess with that system is not in that country's best interest and one is therefore doomed for partipation in anything truly wreckless.

I guess what I wondered about and what I'd like to hear opinions about here are related to issues of censorship and the net.

It happens here in the good old USA too. Some sites are not readily assessable to users in the US.

Some site's go so far as to even edit (without admitting it) the posts of their users. We all know of at least one that does.

So, how would you feel about the United States government instituting a similar policy or action here?

So, what does it have to do with Net Neutrality?

Your's was an example of tyrannical government, nothing specifically to do with an internet.

There is no difference between China pursuing Internet porn sites, and US forcing a construction code on everyone. We are just the same.

The Chinese people are hard working and respectable over all.
Their government on the other hand are a bunch of Hypocrites!

Everybody politically are sucking up to them and our government has time and time again headed in the totalitarian direction China has taken. If you want a social state look at China folks! That is what you will get!

China has time and time again tried to leverage themselves to be more powerful than the US in the global picture. They only adhere to environmental agreements when it suits them. They are wiping out tuna along with the Japanese and Korean fishing fleets.

Face it, Labor Unions in this country contributed to the loss of industry here! When a jack off is being pain $90 an hour just to put screws into cars something is very wrong with the labor picture. I'm college educated and self employed and make $50 an hour doing work many other can not or will not do and a lot of it requires skills that many in the UAW do not have. I was UAW 148 and they did nothing to keep me in work when I lost my job. I had to get in line with others behind a long line of people with seniority. it didn't matter how skilled they were.

What do you get with deregulation and a social welfare state?
Look around folks!

Free Tibet...

With the purchase of Chinese manufactured products!
Wanna make a dent in China's economic future?
Tighten your belt, buy less and DON'T buy Chinese made or from Wal Mart who is largely supplied by China.
Get on our governments ass for reform.
Less Whining, More action!

But the people in the government at the top only chose to act when the problem began to bite them in the ass! So what they killed a scape goat! How about a little restitution to those this scandal has affected. Melanine in the pet food they were selling us a year prior to this recent fiasco should have been a warning shot across our bow but we didn't react until the boat got hit! So what a few pets died? It was not until children were dying was when everyone chose to look into the problems of contaminated goods.

Here is a thought. Drink water that ran through PVC pipes?
Did you know that China uses lead in making PVC products? Little lead poisoning anybody? Heck they use lead in a lot of surprising areas. China only holds themselves to their standards. Screw everyone else...

The issue of net neutrality does come into play when discussing governments and businesses interests and involvements in the internet. There is a connection.

The idea of protecting net neutrality is summed up in an open letter Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, issued a while back:

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can’t pay.

Oh and nogames39 thanks for so thoughtfully commenting on my posts no matter what section of these forums they appear in. I am flattered!

Ban porn? Don't even open that door. Now I am not pro porn but if you start there where will it end?
How long before we loose the freedom to voice our opinions on blogs or forums?
If China or any other government does not want their society viewing certain subjects then it is up to them to deal with it. It is not the responsibility of the ISP's, search engines, or the hosting companies to police the internet and force the rest of the world to conform to their ideals. It is imperative that the net stay neutral.

Food for thought:
Enfamil Lipil with Iron has one of the highest traces of melamine of baby food products. WIC has been dishing out free cans of these, given away up to 9 cans at a time, to poor families and mothers, and has continued to do so even after the melamine was discovered.