Why China needs new internet laws to fight the online rumour-mongers
Dong Lishen says cracking down on internet rumours is necessary to eliminate 'harmful forces' but it doesn't have to infringe on the rights of citizens to legally express their views
Chinese authorities have recently taken measures to clamp down on the spread of online rumours and regulate cyberspace. These moves are necessary to safeguard citizens' rights and interests, and promote the healthy development of the internet.
The rapid development and popularity of the internet has created new problems in the social landscape. Traditionally, people have been defined to a large extent by their professions, titles or class. Such "labels" create boundaries and exert an unseen pressure on people to help them maintain self-discipline.
In an online community, however, the real and virtual worlds get mixed up. People interact without constraints, or the same sense of identity. In this realm, where "no one knows who I am", users tend to amplify and diversify their activities.
Under such circumstances, the social norms that exist because of relationships often break down, and people are freed from the pressure created by public opinion, moral boundaries and legal sanctions in the real world. The spread of online rumours is one manifestation of this.
Disorder and confusion in the online community are jeopardising citizens' rights and interests
While China is still adapting to this new world, internet use is expanding rapidly and an online community has emerged almost out of the blue. Figures show that at the end of 2011 there were more than 500 million internet users on the mainland and 250 million microbloggers. More than 38 per cent of the population had internet access. In this seemingly unfettered world, many people have gone beyond what is deemed acceptable in a traditional society, where law and order prevail.