Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Privacy

China’s New Cybersecurity Law Sparks Censorship Concerns

China has released a draft cybersecurity law which immediately sparked concerns that it is too vague and could signal Beijing’s widespread censorship of the Internet becoming even more far-reaching.

China has released a draft cybersecurity law which immediately sparked concerns that it is too vague and could signal Beijing’s widespread censorship of the Internet becoming even more far-reaching.

The ruling Communist Party oversees a vast censorship system — dubbed the Great Firewall — that aggressively blocks sites or snuffs out Internet content and commentary on topics considered sensitive, such as Beijing’s human rights record and criticism of the government.

The proposed legislation will “ensure network security, (and) safeguard the sovereignty of cyberspace and national security,” according to the draft law, which was posted Monday on the website of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the rubber-stamp parliament, but reported by state media Wednesday.

Netizens could not “disturb the social order, (and) harm the public interest,” the proposals said.

Ever-tighter limits on rights have been rolled out since President Xi Jinping came to power, and China recently launched a national security law which expands its legal reach over the Internet and even outer space.

That legislation drew a wave of criticism from rights groups and businesses, and the draft cybersecurity law is also causing concern.

“We have some concerns that it will take a lot of the censorship practices that are currently being used but are not formalized, and codify them into law,” William Nee, China researcher for UK-based Amnesty International, told AFP.

“It will definitely mean more censorship and probably increase penalties for people who say things that the Chinese government doesn’t like,” added Nee, who is based in Hong Kong.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said his organisation was still reviewing the draft.

“But I am worried,” he added. “The chief concern is that, as with many Chinese laws, the language is vague enough to make it unclear how the law will be enforced.”

Authorities in 2013 launched a wide-ranging crackdown on the Internet, targeting activists and focusing on what it claimed were “Internet rumours”.

Hundreds of Chinese bloggers and journalists were arrested as part of the campaign to assert greater control over social media, which has seen influential critics of Beijing paraded on state television.

Under regulations announced at the time, Chinese Internet users face three years in prison for writing defamatory messages that are re-posted 500 times or more. Web users can also be jailed if offending posts are viewed more than 5,000 times.

Related: Great Firewall ‘Upgrade’ Troubles VPN Users In China

Written By

AFP 2023

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Learn how the LOtL threat landscape has evolved, why traditional endpoint hardening methods fall short, and how adaptive, user-aware approaches can reduce risk.

Watch Now

Join the summit to explore critical threats to public cloud infrastructure, APIs, and identity systems through discussions, case studies, and insights into emerging technologies like AI and LLMs.

Register

People on the Move

Cloud security startup Upwind has appointed Rinki Sethi as Chief Security Officer.

SAP security firm SecurityBridge announced the appointment of Roman Schubiger as the company’s new CRO.

Cybersecurity training and simulations provider SimSpace has appointed Peter Lee as Chief Executive Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.