China moves to bolster control of the Internet

BEIJING — China plans to set up “network security offices” staffed by police inside major websites and Internet companies, in a move to strengthen the government’s grip on the world’s largest population of Web users.

The Ministry of Public Security will station police officers in “critical” Internet companies to help boost defence against cyberattacks and fight criminal activity, said the state-runXinhua news agency citing a ministry conference.

The initiative is also intended to safeguard users’ information, Xinhua said. Specific companies or websites were not named.

The country’s largest Internet companies include Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, andBaidu Inc.

The Chinese government has long controlled Internet content, blocking pornography, dissident websites and any other information it deems a threat to the ruling Communist Party.

It is planning to build a national cyber-safety net as part of a sweeping security Bill being considered by the top lawmaking body.

The draft Bill, now seeking public feedback, will enable national andlocal governments to cut Internetaccess in the event of a major public-security incident, said a statement onits website.

For example, China blocked some instant-messaging services inthe western province of Xinjiang last year because of social unrest, news portal Caixin reported, citing a government notice.

“It’s probably part of this cybersecurity paranoia that seems to be gripping China,” said Mr Doug Young, author of The Party Line: How the Media Dictates Public Opinion in Modern China. “Having the ‘watchdog’ sit in their office would be a constant reminder that the government is watching them.”

President Xi Jinping designated “representatives of new media” as a key focus for the ruling party’s outreach in May, said Xinhua. China had 668 million Internet users at the end of June, said a government research institute.

Technology leaders should “demonstrate positive energy in purifying cyberspace,” Mr Xi said at the end of the party’s first national United Front conference — a gathering of legally permitted organisations in the country, Xinhua reported.

He called for regular contact with representatives of new media to build support for the party’s agenda. BLOOMBERG