• Reuters, Monday, January 5, 2009 11:30 AM

Reuters reports that China is cracking down big time on morality-threatening Web sites that spread pornography and vulgarity, including search engines like Google and Baidu. The Ministry of Public Security and six other government agencies announced the new campaign on Monday, as state television reported officials hauling away digital equipment from one unidentified office.

According to the report, the group "decided to launch a nationwide campaign to clean up a vulgar current on the Internet and named and exposed a large number of sites violating public morality and harming the physical and mental health of youth and young people." Nineteen Internet operators and Web sites including Google, Baidu and Sina.com were named in the report for failing to heed censors in swiftly cutting vulgar content.

China has launched several Internet censorship efforts before, but officials claimed tougher measures would be taken this time. "Some websites have exploited loopholes in laws and regulations," Cai Mingzhao, a deputy chief of the State Council Information Office, who chaired the meeting, told state television. "They have used all kinds of ways to distribute content that is low-class, crude and even vulgar, gravely damaging mores on the Internet." Law breakers, he said, would face "stern punishment."

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