China cracks down on SMS

From sources I have read, in the academic arena, Singapore is regarded as the leading edge for authoritative governments wishing to deal with new technology in order to curtail freedom of speech. In fact it is often stated that Singapore is teaching other south east asian governments how to monitor personal communication, therefore violating civil rights that are enshrined within the United Nation declaration of humans rights...


Go on sms the following to your friends and conduct a live experiment... " gathering of 100 people at bugis mrt for democracy, bring weapons." Bet the cops are there before you are. Remember the flash crowd incidences in Singapore. The story is that on the third 'Flash Crowd' the police were all ready waiting for them. How can they know and mobilise so quickly?

online news for online journalists
3 July 2004


China cracks down on SMS

Posted: 2 July 2004 By: Jemima Kiss
Email: jemima@journalism.co.uk

The Chinese government is extending its sophisticated surveillance network to monitor the content of mobile text messages (SMS), reports press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF).

A system produced by Chinese technology firm Venus info Tech will allow the authorities to filter messages and detect keywords or phrases which, they say, will detect 'false political rumours' and 'reactionary remarks'.

"The Chinese authorities are making ever greater use of new technology to control the circulation of news and information," said RSF.

"The international community should react against this hardening by the Chinese regime."

China is already believed to have more than 2,800 surveillance centres for SMS traffic and also employs 30,000 people to monitor and censor web content.

Nearly 100 million text messages are sent in China each year, and mobile phone ownership has reached 60 per cent.