Tuesday, June 09, 2009

New software helps Chinese block internet porn

Chinese parents won't have to worry about their kids accessing adult web sites.

China is requiring all domestically sold PCs to carry software called "Green Dam--Youth Escort." GDYE prevents computers from accessing web sites with adult photos or language, Zhang Chenmin, general manager of Jinhul Computer System Engineering Company told the Associated Press. Chenmin's company is compiling a list of sites to block.

Zhang said his company signed a $3 million contract with the Chinese government to develop the software last May. China has more than 250 million Internet users and the country launched a crackdown on adult web sites, which are banned in China.

Parents will be allowed to add to the blacklisted sites and the software could be used to block any type of web site, depending on keywords. The Chinese government, according to AP, routinely blocks political sites, like those that challenge the ruling of the Communist Party.

"If a father doesn't want his son to be exposed to content related to basketball or drugs, he can block all web sites related to those things," Zhang told the AP.

Zhang said users could also unblock web sites, but they will not be able to see the full database. He said the software does not monitor or send IP addresses to third parties.

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