China again tightens information flow: Report
Nov 04, 2021
Beijing [China], November 4 : In further addition to the list of measures taken to curb the individual's right to information, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently warned internet service providers to follow the latest version of the recently published "List of sources of Internet News Information" before reprinting news information, said a media report.
Writing in InsideOver, the Italian political expert Sergio Restelli said several countries, the UN, etc have forthrightly declared that access to internet services should be a part of human rights. Therefore, restricting access to the internet would be violating freedom of expression and access to information guaranteed by international laws.
"The Chinese government has time and again created controversies with international internet and content production companies and passed a series of laws and rules that curb the individual's right to information," Restelli said, adding that "in further addition to the list of measures taken in the past, The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently warned service providers to follow the latest version of the recently published 'List of sources of Internet News Information' before reprinting news information with the caveat that those that are in violation and reprint beyond the scope of this list will be punished in accordance with the laws and regulations."
He said that the whole of China has access to or should read or repost news only from relevant listed websites. The list contains only 1358 news source outlets. This comprises news websites, central news units, industry media, local news, local-news units and government dispatch platforms.
The criteria for "Sources of Internet News Information" are not yet clear, he added.
In his report, Restelli said that it is important to note that Caixin has been excluded from the list. Caixin is a large privately-owned news company in china. Caixin's Media President Hu Shuli posted a cryptic Weibo post thought to be aimed at President Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.
The report noted the post was taken down in a short while and not so surprisingly Caixin's name was excluded from the list. It is anyone's guess at this point how and why the criteria for the "List of sources for Internet information" was decided and what went into making this list.
