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China Launches Internet Cleanup Campaign; More Websites Blocked

Reuters

   BEIJING - China has launched a campaign to clean up its internet, state
   media said Wednesday, amid a fresh wave of apparent censorship by
   authorities that has blocked more foreign media websites and shut down
   domestic accounts on social media.

   The "rectification" effort was launched in May by the cyberspace
   administration, the information technology ministry, the public
   security bureau and the markets regulator and will run until the end of
   the year, the official Xinhua news agency said.

   The campaign will punish and expose websites for "illegal and criminal
   actions," failing to "fulfil their obligation" to take safety measures
   or the theft of personal information, it added.

   The campaign follows a series of shutdowns and blockages of certain
   websites and social media accounts.

   Several foreign media beyond Beijing's control, such as the Washington
   Post and The Guardian, have not been accessible online since last
   weekend, adding to a list of blocked sites that includes Reuters.

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