Net filter fading away
By Zhu Shenshen and Wang Xiang |
July 14, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A CONTROVERSIAL Internet filtering software, which got 41 million yuan (US$6 million) from the Chinese government and has about 20 million users nationwide, won't get new updates and will probably lose other tech support, developers said yesterday.
All in all, it appears that the government-backed Green Dam Youth Escort, which blocks porn and unhealthy information from under-aged people, is on its way to disappearing.
Developers have closed the Green Dam Beijing office, only one year after its debut, citing a shortage of funds.
"You can still download the software on the website, but no more updates," the Green Dam hotline said yesterday.
The Green Dam software was developed by the Zhengzhou, Henan Province-based Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co and Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy Co, firms that were little-known to the public.
The more than 30 workers at the Green Dam Beijing office, operated by Beijing Dazheng, have been laid off. The office closed for lack of operating funds, said Chen Xiaomeng, a manager of the Green Dam project, the Beijing Times reported.
If the Zhengzhou office were also to close, the 20 million Green Dam users would lose tech support.
Chen said the company had requested more money from the government, but got no answer, the report said.
An official surnamed Yan at Zhengzhou Jinhui didn't respond to a call from the Shanghai Daily yesterday.
China's Internet regulator announced last year it would use 41.7 million yuan to purchase the filtering software, including one-year related services, for the public to download and use.
It initially required all new computers to be equipped with Green Dam starting July 1 last year. But it dropped the mandatory requirement in the face of opposition from many personal computer vendors and Internet users.
Though many people criticized it for security shortcomings, its effects on computer performance and intrusions on personal privacy, Green Dam software was installed in about 20 million computers in places like schools and Net cafes and downloaded by some consumers.
Netizens questioned the high price paid by the government for the software and called for government inquiries. "Why did the less-known firms win the bid? How do they use the 41 million yuan investment? Why the huge investment has been used up within only one year?" said a netizen called "Lxz15935777219" at a Baidu forum.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not comment on the issues yesterday.
All in all, it appears that the government-backed Green Dam Youth Escort, which blocks porn and unhealthy information from under-aged people, is on its way to disappearing.
Developers have closed the Green Dam Beijing office, only one year after its debut, citing a shortage of funds.
"You can still download the software on the website, but no more updates," the Green Dam hotline said yesterday.
The Green Dam software was developed by the Zhengzhou, Henan Province-based Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co and Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy Co, firms that were little-known to the public.
The more than 30 workers at the Green Dam Beijing office, operated by Beijing Dazheng, have been laid off. The office closed for lack of operating funds, said Chen Xiaomeng, a manager of the Green Dam project, the Beijing Times reported.
If the Zhengzhou office were also to close, the 20 million Green Dam users would lose tech support.
Chen said the company had requested more money from the government, but got no answer, the report said.
An official surnamed Yan at Zhengzhou Jinhui didn't respond to a call from the Shanghai Daily yesterday.
China's Internet regulator announced last year it would use 41.7 million yuan to purchase the filtering software, including one-year related services, for the public to download and use.
It initially required all new computers to be equipped with Green Dam starting July 1 last year. But it dropped the mandatory requirement in the face of opposition from many personal computer vendors and Internet users.
Though many people criticized it for security shortcomings, its effects on computer performance and intrusions on personal privacy, Green Dam software was installed in about 20 million computers in places like schools and Net cafes and downloaded by some consumers.
Netizens questioned the high price paid by the government for the software and called for government inquiries. "Why did the less-known firms win the bid? How do they use the 41 million yuan investment? Why the huge investment has been used up within only one year?" said a netizen called "Lxz15935777219" at a Baidu forum.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not comment on the issues yesterday.
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