China is planning to ban its ordinary citizens from looking for sex-related medical and research Web sites on the Internet starting next month. The action is part of what it calls a crackdown on online pornographic content, but which many believe is tied to restricting access to a wider range of sensitive topics.
Starting in July, medical information service providers will be required to install software to ensure that only professionals will be able to access sites containing sex information and research, Reuters reported.
The new rules were posted on the Web site of China's Ministry of Health.
The regulations prohibit the spreading of "pornographic content in the name of sex-related scientific research," and said that "the health sections of Web portals are not allowed to conduct sex-related research services," according to Reuters.
The new rules come at a time when the Chinese government is looking for ways to tighten its control of the online activities of its citizens, ostensibly as a way to protect them, and especially children, from pornographic images.
For instance, the Chinese government earlier this month mandated that all PCs sold in the country must include "Green Dam Youth Escort" Internet-filtering software by July 1.
That mandate is aimed at curbing the availability of pornography to the country's children, according to the government.
Reports out of China, however, say that many of its citizens are concerned about moves to restrict the information that they can access online because of the potential for curbing discussions about sensitive political topics.
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