eWEEK: China: Spam May Be Subversive

BEIJING (AP)—China has a new message for computer users: Spam isn't just annoying, it might well be subversive.

The government has launched a fight against junk e-mail, fearful that the spam amassing in citizens' inboxes may contain pornography, anti-communist sentiments or other objectionable material.

Chinese statistics show that 70 million pieces of spam went to the nation's e-mail users every day last year, "including many which were pornographic or reactionary, or promoted gambling or spread computer viruses," the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the China Police Daily.

By "reactionary," authorities typically mean expression that is anti-government and therefore illegal. Pornography, even soft-core, is outlawed in China, as is most gambling.

The ministries of public security, education and information will work together to combat junk e-mail, the report said. They want more than 90 percent of China's e-mail servers to take measures against spam by the end of June.

China has nearly 80 million Internet users among its 1.3 billion population, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The government encourages the Internet for business use but keeps a tight rein on political content.