… The Chinese government's censorship is less like a man-eating tiger or fire-snorting dragon than a giant anaconda coiled in an overhead chandelier. Normally it doesn't move. It doesn't have to. It feels no need to be clear about its prohibitions. Its silent message is “You yourself decide” …

This is evident in the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and Management Regulations (promulgated 30 December 1997). Section 5 states that “no unit or individual may use the Internet to create, replicate, retrieve or transmit the following kinds of information”; this is followed by nine specific regulations, of which the following, in Deans' view, which I share, reflect similar legislation in most liberal democracies:

Inciting to resist or breaking the Constitution or laws or the implementation of administrative regulations. Inciting hatred or discrimination among nationalities or harming the unity of the nationalities. Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumours, destroying the unity of society. Terrorism or inciting others to criminal activity, openly insulting other people or distorting the truth to slander other people. Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative regulations.

Essentially, then, I view the current spate of China-bashing on the 'net as misleading, unfair and to some extent inaccurate. Yes, the CCP does seek to regulate access to some parts of the internet, and for reasons that Western societies may well not understand (viz. Bell). Equally, however, Western governments also exercise the right to censor information in a variety of ways; therefore, they have no right to challenge another country for doing what they do, but perhaps for different reasons.

The bottom line is this: all information that is disseminated is subject to censorship.

In my opinion, any sensible view of the internet must admit that some sort of censorship or regulation is necessary, and this is put into practice differently by different societies. China, the USA, New Zealand, Singapore, Britain – we all do it, so let's stop pointing the finger across borders lest we poke ourselves in the eye.