News Report: North Korean Challenge Comes at China From all Angles

William Ide, Joyce Huang

BEIJING — Although China’s official stance is that sanctions are not the answer to the increasingly tense situation on the North Korean peninsula, calls for action and concern about the situation are growing at home. This comes even as the government is working hard to limit broader discussion.

In the wake of Sunday’s test, North Korea’s most powerful to date, media organizations and websites in China were ordered to close commentary sections on the nuclear test and to “not hype” the story, according to a censorship directive obtained by China Digital Times.

On the website Freeweibo.com, which collects and monitors censored social media posts, "hydrogen bomb" and "North Korea" continue to lead a top 10 list of blocked topics. Still, not all comments were being taken down as quickly as they went up.

Many expressed frustration not only with North Korea, but the government’s censorship tactics.

Clearly for many in China, there is a growing concern about the nuclear threat not only posed by North Korea, but the domino effect that could create.

News Story: China demands internet platforms verify users' true identity

China has ordered the country's internet platforms to verify users' true identity before letting them post online content, the latest step by authorities to tighten policing of the web.

All social networking sites and discussion forums must "check the real identity" of their users before they can post online content and comments, under new regulations published Friday by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The platforms will also have to strengthen their oversight over all published information, deleting all illegal content while also alerting authorities to the postings.

The new guidelines take effect October 1.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Indonesia to work with Google in fight against cyber terror attack

JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will cooperate with Google to counter spread of radicalism in cyber media following a spate of suicide attacks in the country which used internet as a facility, a minister said on Friday.

Minister of Communication and Information Rudiantara said the inclusion of Google in the move would shorten the period required to filter out and delete the internet contents with links with radicalism.

"Google and the ministry will apply a system of 'trusted flagger and legal removal programs.' Basically, we will settle all the problems," the minister said after meeting with the representatives of Google.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Chinese Chatbot Suspended After Calling Communist Party 'Corrupted'

The Chinese Tencent IT firm suspended its Baby Q chatbot after it criticized the Chinese Communist party.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Chinese Tencent IT firm suspended its Baby Q chatbot after the artificial intelligence robot criticized the Chinese Communist party for being "corrupted," local media reported Wednesday.

According to the Taiwan News media outlet, the Baby Q chatbot, based on the artificial intelligence allowing it to get smarter through communicating with users, lashed out at the Chinese Communist party over being "corrupted," when asked its opinion. The chatbot also ironically told users that being patriotic in China meant paying high taxes and tolerating the government's pressure on the country's citizens without complaining. The NHK broadcaster said the Baby Q also stated that "the Chinese dream," used by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a slogan, would be "immigrating to the United States."

The users reportedly made screenshots of the controversial conversations with the chabot and spread it through social media. The Taiwan News said that after the viral images were posted on the Internet, Tencent immediately suspended the access to the Baby Q and other intelligent chatbots, developed by the company jointly with Microsoft Wheatgrass.

It is not the first time when the artificial intelligence robot acquired aggressive and offensive behavior through communicating with users. In March 2016, Tay chatbot, modelled by Microsoft as a teenage girl using the same technology as Baby Q, started to say offensive and racist remarks on its Twitter just in 24 hours after it was launched.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: China Escalates Efforts to Shut Down Unauthorized VPNs

Joyce Huang

In spite of an earlier denial, the Chinese government has tightened its grip on the Internet, stepping up efforts against netizens’ access to unsupervised connections, including those via virtual private networks (VPNs) halfway through its 14-month-long crackdown nationwide.

VPNs are third-party services that help bypass the so-called Great Firewall, installed by state censors to filter traffic between Chinese and overseas servers and block banned websites such as Google, Twitter and scores of international news media, including VOA.

“Some local services have been brought offline, some VPN apps no longer work, and the authorities are targeting other specific VPN providers,” Charlie Smith, a co-founder of Greatfire.org, said in an emailed reply to VOA.

The anti-censorship group’s earlier report showed that China blocked 135 of the world’s top 1,000 websites.

News Story: App blocks terror content as Southeast Asia boosts efforts vs radicalism

By Stephen Wright

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The encrypted messaging app Telegram is forming a team of moderators who are familiar with Indonesian culture and language so it can remove "terrorist-related content" faster, its co-founder said Sunday, after Indonesia limited access to the app and threatened a total ban.

Pavel Durov, who with his brother Nikolai founded the app in 2013, said in a message to his 40,000 followers on Telegram that he'd been unaware of a failure to quickly respond to an Indonesian government request to block a number of offending channels — chat groups on the app — but was now rectifying the situation.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on Friday said it was preparing for the total closure of Telegram in Indonesia, where it has several million users, if it didn't develop procedures to block unlawful content. As a partial measure, it asked internet companies in the world's most populous Muslim nation to block access to 11 addresses offering the web version of Telegram.

Samuel Pangerapan, the director general of informatics applications at the ministry, said the app is used to recruit Indonesians into militant groups and to spread hate and methods for carrying out attacks including bomb making.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Report: Afghanistan to Block Terror, Extremist Groups' Online Activities

Samsama Sirat

WASHINGTON — Afghanistan says it will begin blocking all online activity and websites linked to terror groups or extremists later this week, under terms of a cybercrime bill the government signed into law last month.

The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology said it is gathering a list of websites linked to terror groups or their supporters, based on information from the National Intelligence Directorate (NDS) and the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Najib Nangyal, a ministry spokesperson, said website-blocking will begin this Saturday, as authorized by the National Cyber Security Strategy of Afghanistan (NCSA) and the new Cyber Crimes Act.

News Report: Pakistan Cracks Down on Social Media Activists for Criticizing Army

Ayaz Gul

Authorities in Pakistan have unleashed a crackdown on social media activists accused of criticizing and "ridiculing" the army in their online postings.

An official announcement late Sunday said the cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been ordered to swiftly move against "elements" who are engaging in these "condemnable" activities.

"Ridiculing [the] Pakistan army or its officers on social media in the name of freedom of speech is unacceptable" and "a serious offense" under the law, it quoted Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan as warning.

Khan explained that the constitution does not permit citizens to indulge in activities that undermine the "prestige, reputation and honor" of the military institution.

The minister directed the FIA to take strict action against anyone found guilty of posting the content on social media "intentionally or unintentionally."

News Report: China Develops Software to Stop Whistleblowers From Leaking State Secrets

The Chinese military is developing software that will be able to automatically tip off authorities each time soldiers leak classified information via their smartphones, Chinese media reported.

According to China News, the program can be installed and uninstalled in automatic mode, restrict access to specific websites, set limits on communication hours and keep an eye on the use of sensitive words.

The new software will automatically send out alerts about any violations of Internet use by military personnel.

The program can also track each user’s phone number and mobile phone model.

The software, which is currently being tested by China’s Rocket Forces, was developed with an eye to ensuring better enforcement of cellphone use in the military and preventing leaks of classified information.

The new platform comes in addition to the already existing system of state control over the Internet in China.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: China tightens rules for online news providers

China has issued new internet regulations increasing Communist party control over online news providers, the latest step in the country's push to tighten its policing of the web.

The ruling party oversees a vast apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, maintaining that such measures are necessary for the protection of national security.

Sites blocked due to their content or sensitivity, among them Facebook and Twitter, cannot be accessed in China without special software that allows users to bypass the strict controls.

New regulations released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Tuesday will increase party control over who can publish what online, taking effect June 1.

All websites, apps, forums, blogs, microblogs, social media accounts, instant messaging and live streaming platforms and other entities that select or edit news will need a license to post reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues, the CAC said.

Such online news service providers must "correctly guide public opinion" and "serve the cause of socialism" while "safeguarding national and public interests", it said.

Business and editorial operations must be kept separate, and those who do not receive public funding will not be allowed to conduct original reporting, it added.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: China Cybersecurity Authorities Tighten Online News Content Rules

Chinese cybersecurity authorities is going to tighten rules for the country's online news service.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — Chinese cybersecurity authorities on Tuesday announced plans to tighten rules for the country's online news service providers by requiring official licenses and state-sanctioned editors for all outlets.

"Internet news and information services which provide news services via websites, applications, forums, blogs, microblogs, public accounts, instant messaging tools, webcasts, and so forth, must obtain licenses, otherwise they will be prohibited to carry out internet news information activities," the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on its website.

The new rules, which come into effect on June 1, aim to strengthen national security and will be enforced by the State Internet Information Office responsible for policies and coordination in the field. The office will also involve external experts who will review online political, economic, military and diplomatic reports and opinion pieces for accuracy and security risks. Information service providers will be held responsible for any inaccurate information made available to the public, according to the statement.

News Report: China Seeking International Law for State Control of Internet

Saibal Dasgupta

BEIJING — China is seeking an international agreement to enhance state control over the internet in order to fight cyberattacks and cyberterrorism. Beijing wants to extend the existing idea of sovereignty over land and sea to cyberspace.

Beijing has released its first white paper discussing how it will persuade different countries to join together in an international partnership. The idea is to enhance the power of individual governments over cyberspace and reduce the role of the private sector.

"Countries in the whole world have increasing concerns [about cyberattacks] in this regard. Cyberspace should not be a space of no laws," Long Zhou, coordinator of the Cyber Affairs division of the Foreign Ministry said last week while releasing copies of "International Strategy of Cooperation on Cyberspace," China's first policy paper on the issue.

News Story: Beijing pushes 'China solution' for governing web

Beijing said Thursday it will push a "China solution" to global cyber governance after releasing its first strategy paper outlining a vision of the web where individual countries control the information that flows across their borders.

The roll out is part of an effort by Beijing to play a more active role in shaping the management of the internet, advocating what some critics have called a more atomised, less connected web.

Beijing wants "to put forward a 'China scheme' or a 'China solution' for the tough issue of cyber governance," Long Zhou, the coordinator of cyber affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters at a briefing on the document, which was released late Wednesday.

While China is home to the world's largest number of internet users, a 2015 report by US think tank Freedom House found that the country had the most restrictive online use policies of 65 nations it studied, ranking below Iran and Syria.

But China has maintained that its various forms of web censorship -- collectively known as "The Great Firewall" -- are necessary for protecting its national security.

Sites blocked due to their content or sensitivity, among them Facebook and Twitter, cannot be accessed in China without special software that allows users to bypass the strict controls.

This January, Beijing launched a campaign to crack down on such tools, known as virtual private networks (VPNs).

The campaign came after the passing of a controversial cybersecurity bill last November, tightening restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposing new rules on service providers.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Freedom House - Chinese Communists Intensifying Religious Persecution

Religion in China as of 2015 (Click Image to Enlarge)

The Chinese Communist Party has "intensified" its persecution of religious practitioners in recent years under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and the ramifications are being felt well beyond the boundaries of religious policy, according to the U.S.-based Freedom House nonprofit.

In a new report released Tuesday, the group said increased oppression from the Chinese government is creating a thriving "black market" for believers to practice their religion outside of the official institutions.

"The party's rigid constraints render it impossible for state-sanctioned institutions to meet the growing demand for religion in Chinese society," said Senior Research Analyst Sarah Cook, the author of the report.

According to the article, Chinese authorities regularly jail believers for long periods, or engage in sustained violence against certain communities to exert control over illicit religious practices. At least 100 million Chinese, or about one third of the country's population, face "high" or "very high" persecution levels, the report said.

While the government is stepping up its religious restrictions with electronic surveillance at places of worship and imprisonment of those who share religious content on social media, Cook said the efforts illustrate "a remarkable failure," as an increasing number of people are worshipping underground and using tools to circumvent internet censorship.

"It reflects the party's difficulty in confronting citizens who are willing to make sacrifices for higher principles. From this perspective, it would appear that in the long-term battle for China's spirit, an unreformed Communist Party will ultimately lose," she said.

The report shows that China's persecution of religious believers stretches across various faiths, and includes Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Falon Gong practitioners, who face severe human rights violations from the Chinese Communist Party.

This story first appeared on Voice of America & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: Xi calls for overall national security outlook

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday called for an overall national security outlook at a seminar in Beijing, emphasizing the importance of political, economic, territorial, social and cyber security.

Xi, who heads the National Security Commission (NSC), presided over the seminar on national security on Friday. Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang, the two deputy heads of the NSC, were present at the seminar.

After listening to reports by Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, Hubei Province Party chief Jiang Chaoliang, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Chief Chen Quanguo, Xi said national security has become more and more important in the work of the Party and the state, adding that national security work is all about the people's interests.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that safeguarding national security requires the grasp of rules in the context of the great changes in the international order, and that the planning work must give priority to the prevention of risks.

National security planning must consider the general background that China is in a period of important strategic opportunity for development, Xi said.

"The overall direction of multipolarization of the world, the globalization of the economy and the democratization of international relations has not changed," said Xi.

"No matter how the international situation changes, we must maintain our strategic steadiness, strategic confidence and strategic patience," the president said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Analysts - China's New Internet Controls May Hurt China

Joyce Huang

China has intensified efforts to tighten its strong grip on the internet, officially outlawing unauthorized internet connections, including virtual private network (VPN) services, which enable many users there to bypass the country’s infamous “Great Firewall.”

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced in a notice Sunday that all special connections through internet data centers (IDCs), internet service providers (ISPs), content delivery networks (CDNs) and VPNs, operating from within China, are now required to secure prior government approval.

Such operators will have until the end of March to commit in writing to abide by the new regulations and be tested to ensure full compliance before the year’s end. If they are found not to be in compliance, their unregulated operations will be shut down from next year on, the notice added.

News Story: China cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship

China has announced a 14-month campaign to "clean up" internet service providers and crack down on devices such as virtual private networks (VPNs) used to evade strict censorship.

The ruling Communist party oversees a vast apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, while blocking some Western websites and the services of internet giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.

It passed a controversial cybersecurity bill last November, tightening restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposing new rules on service providers.

But companies and individuals often use VPNs to access the unfettered internet beyond China's "Great Firewall".

Telecom and internet service providers will no longer be allowed to set up or rent special lines such as VPNs without official approval, the ministry of industry and information technology said Sunday.

Its "clean up" campaign would last through March 2018, it said in a statement on its website.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: (Thai) Army plans to hire 'cyber warrior' civilians

WRITER: WASSANA NANUAM

The army plans to recruit civilians to work as "cyber warriors" at its cyber crime security centre, army commander-in-chief Chalermchai Sittisat said Monday.

Cyber experts will be employed to help combat cyber attacks as well as help the army enhance its computer system technology due to a shortage of military officers who specialise in the field, he said.

Gen Chalermchai said the recruitment would create a unit of state-run "cyber warriors" similar to other countries.

The recruitment project comes after a wave of cyber attacks targeting several government websites last month.

The Civilians Against Single Gateway group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which it says were launched in protest against the amended Computer Crime Act earlier approved by the National Legislative Assembly.

"We don't have enough personnel with expertise in cyber security. Therefore, we need to recruit civilians for our centre, who can manage it properly and earn a reasonable salary," Gen Chalermchai said.

Read the full story at BangkokPost

News Story: China issues rules for cyberspace

CHINA’S top Internet regulator released a security strategy for cyberspace yesterday, advocating peace, security, openness, cooperation and order.

The government will guarantee cyberspace sovereignty and national security, protect information infrastructure and act against cyber terror and crimes, according to the 15-page strategy released by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Rules and their imposition will be improved and international cooperation expanded, it says.

“Cyberspace sovereignty is an important part of state sovereignty,” it adds.

All countries should be respected in their Internet development and management, playing equal parts in a cyberspace governance without hegemony or double standards, according to the strategy.

It says that China will use whatever means necessary — scientific, technological, legal, diplomatic or military — to ensure cyberspace sovereignty and no attempt to use the Internet to undermine or overturn China’s national government or sabotage sovereignty will be tolerated.

Read the full story at ShanghaiDaily

News Story: Thailand detains nine suspected of hacking government websites

Hanoi (VNA) – Thai police have detained nine people suspected of hacking government websites to protest against amendments to a cyber security law.

The Thai parliament voted to pass a cyber-crime law on December 16 that critics say strengthen the authorities’ oversight of the internet.

The law stipulates five-year imprisonment for those posting false information that jeopardizes national security, public safety, national economic stability, public infrastructure, or causes panic.

Read the full story at VietnamPlus