August 11th, 2008
Chinese censorship: to protect 'healthy growth of our youth'
In the U.S., the notion of censoring information broadly in order to protect has been out of fashion since the early 1960s. So we can position China’s ethical development on this spectrum as at least 50 years behind the times, right? Here’s China’s defense of its Internet censorship during the Games, according to AFP.
Asked why sites such as Free Tibet and those covering the Tiananmen Square Massacre were not accessible, Wang Wei, the vice-president of organising committee BOCOG, said: “We (BOCOG) promised free access except for a few websites that jeopardise our security and the healthy growth of our youth.”
“That’s an assessment made by the authorities of which sites are good and which are not good for our youth. It’s like what any other country does.”
Actually, no. In the West, there are no blocks on political sites of any flavor, even the most hate-mongering or racist. And only the simplest of gates on the most outrageous pornography: “If you are 18, click here.”
IOC chief Jacques Rogge said he would not apologize and would review the situation after the Games.
“The problem with Internet access should not have happened,” admitted Rogge last Tuesday. “However, the other day I was asked would I apologise and I said I would not apologise as the IOC do not run the Internet in China. But there will be a review of what happened when we come to audit the Games when they are over.”
A review. That will teach them.
