China closes 91 websites in porn crackdown

Since last Thursday, 91 sites have been taken offline in China for either hosting or pointing to pornographic or "vulgar" content. In the meantime, the government is continuing its quest--announced at the start of the year--to take down sites not deemed suitable for minors. The public distribution of pornography is illegal in China and the government takes a restrictive approach on Internet use. The Health Ministry of China has even declared Internet addiction a disorder.

As is the nature of the Internet, materials released on the web are often not able to be recovered. Just late last year, a woman was arrested after posting a 12-minute home-made pornographic film, which became one of the most popular downloads in the country. Despite attempts by police to remove it, the video is still available online. The enterprising Chinese woman was said to have cashed in on her fame by selling interviews with herself for thousands of dollars at a time.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Ars Technica
- check out this article at Pendle Today

Related Articles:
China cracks down on pornography
China Health Ministry declares Internet addiction is a disorder