Baidu and Google Targeted By Chinese Authorities In Web Cleanup

The Chinese government has accused 19 leading websites and search engine portals, including the search behemoth Google, of failing to pull out vulgar content, like pornography, which is potentially harming its citizens. 

The list from the government, which also includes China’s leading search engine Baidu, was issued as government’s efforts to take on the websites, which are deemed to be offensive by the authorities. 

While China regularly kicks off such campaigns against obscenity over the web, the latest crackdown seems to be much bigger than before, targeting some of the leading players over the web. 

Comprising seven different government agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, State Council Information Office, and the Ministry of Public Security, this comprehensive crackdown seems all set to curb vulgarity over the web. 

Cai Mingzhao from State Council Information Office notified in a report, “They (websites) have used all kinds of ways to distribute content that is low-class, crude and even vulgar, gravely damaging morale on the internet”.

The state media asserted that the Chinese authorities have carried out searches on Google and Baidu that showed a massive number of links to porn websites, and notified about legal actions if the search engine portals didn’t sort out their search results soon.    

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