Papers support move against online 'rumour-mongers'
But some worry detentions by Beijing police just another attempt by central government to stifle online criticism
The government's campaign to rein in the internet entered a new frontier last week with the detention of four people in connection with a Beijing internet marketing company on allegations of rumour-mongering online.
The Beijing police moved against Beijing Erma Interactive Marketing and Planning after online posts surfaced attacking Lei Feng, the People's Liberation Army soldier whom the Communist Party has lionised as a model of humility and bravery since his death four decades ago.
The Beijing Erma employees, who include founder Yang Xiuyu and staffer Qin Zhihui, are suspected of "making trouble and operating an illegal business", according to the Beijing Times. The same report described the company as "a typical online criminal organisation with underworld characteristics".
The company has long used salacious and provocative posts about public figures and institutions to "rock" the internet and drive traffic to certain sites, police said.
People's Daily, the party's main mouthpiece, said the strategy had helped Beijing Erma earn more than 10 million yuan (HK$12.6 million) over the past seven years.
Although many praised the effort to shut down Beijing Erma, others were concerned that it might represent another expansion of the party's effort to clamp down on the internet.