Chinese government launches crackdown against online porn industry

Beijing, Feb. 6 (ANI): In a latest crackdown against online porn industry, China has reinforced its arsenal of laws that will go into effect today.

In a joint statement released on Friday, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate said that the new rule would target wireless carriers, along with advertisers, advertising agents, third-party payment platforms and websites if they are found to be involved in the porn business for profits.

The second judicial interpretation concerning online porn was intended to serve as a supplement to its predecessor released in September 2004, as porn has crept into cell phones with access to the Internet, China Daily reports.

The first interpretation had only put the end link of the interest chain - the websites - under its sway.

The other four links involved in the online porn business will have to scramble for any evidence in their favour if they try to prove that they were unaware of the porn content on the websites.

However, a single complaint from any netizen could foil the attempt, according to the rule's definition of awareness.

The rule also enhances the protection for teenagers younger than 14 by cutting the conviction threshold in half from the first judicial interpretation.

For instance, as few as 10 video clips verified as porn depicting such teenagers will carry the sentence of making, copying, publishing, selling and circulating porn articles for making profits, according to the rule.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the number of Chinese netizens using cell phones to log online has surged to 233 million as of the end of last year and Chinese Internet users have increased more than four times to 384 million in the past five years. (ANI)