China

YouTube unblocked in China, but could Google have cooperated?

William Long at Moonlight Blog reports that YouTube is again accessible from his connection in China.

I'm in Osaka, Japan, but a friend in Beijing, who prefers to be identified as "Hot Mama in Beijing," confirms.

Hot Mama adds an anecdote: Last Friday, YouTube was accessible but anything related to what we called T%%% to avoid filters would return a message to the effect of, "This content is not available in your country." Though it would be relatively easy for Chinese filters to replicate this result, this may indicate some effort on YouTube/Google's … Read more

Yahoo and MSN briefly help find Tibetan dissidents

Yahoo China and MSN China both briefly posted a "most wanted" list with photos of people Chinese authorities are trying to track down surrounding the recent events in Tibet, a French TV website reports.

Rebecca MacKinnon reports that the lists were down when she checked, and offers a guess as to what happened:

I wouldn't be surprised if the local editors just automatically ran it because everybody else in China was running it, then got over-ridden by management in the U.S. who realized how badly this would play outside of China... Such is the disconnect between … Read more

Before Tibet's unrest, Tudou and YouTube saw scrutiny in China

A Chinese agency promised to shut or punish video sharing websites for hosting prohibited material, but this was going on before the incidents in Tibet made a different agency's occasional blocking of YouTube famous.

An AP reporter says the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) announced Friday that the leading Chinese video site, Tudou, would be penalized. The report notes that no mention was made of Tibet, but doesn't make clear the most important part: that this all started before the demonstrations in Tibet did. I am sure SARFT takes politically sensitive films into account in … Read more

Dell looking for boost from Asian PC market

As the U.S. market becomes increasingly saturated with computers, Dell is looking eastward for new markets in which to sell its wares.

The Texas PC maker said Thursday it plans to increase its presence in China and India, the Associated Press reports.

"This year, we plan to introduce 50 percent more notebook platforms than we introduced last year, including exciting new products aimed exactly at Chinese customer needs," CEO Michael Dell said at a news conference in Beijing. He added that machines meant for needs of Indian customers would also be part of the plan.

Dell is … Read more

Top Chinese university weighs a ban on swearing online

Beijing University, one of China's top academic institutions, is considering a rule to ban its students form using obscenity or spreading rumors online, Xinhua reports. Rules may also affect faculty.

It's not clear if the enforcement would include any online speech by students or if it would be limited to university forums.

News of the possible regulations comes a few months after a popular student bulletin board--a physical board, not the campus BBS--was taken down by university authorities. Xinhua writes:

The university, concerned about abusive comments and rumors on Internet forums, is considering amending its "Student Rules,&… Read more

'Silicon Dragon': Why China might dominate the tech world

Journalist Rebecca Fannin argues in her new book, Silicon Dragon, that China will gradually emerge as the world's center of innovation, supplanting Silicon Valley for venture capital and exciting technology.

Forbes.com asked her to explain her ideas in an interview:

You argue that China is "winning the tech race." But it seems like the more mature companies in China have followed American business models, and this innovative generation of companies is still very young. In what sense is China "winning?"

Well, you have to consider the time frame. It's going to be years … Read more

YouTube ban only erodes China's image

Protests break out in some nation around the globe and one of the first things a media-shy government does--just after sending in riot police--is pull the plug on YouTube.

The latest example is China's handling of protests in Tibet. The Chinese government has blocked access to YouTube in that country after scores of clips showing violence between police and protesters were posted to the site, according to hundreds of reports found on Google News.

Scores of other media outlets have been blocked or partially blacked out in China, including broadcasts of CNN, the BBC World, and Google News. But … Read more

Where the clap has not subsided

EPISODE 57

While Jeff is still out, we manage to press forward in the most depressing way possible (you'd think Dan Ackerman was on the show). Randall cheers for a recession like its 1999, Xbox 360 kids are kinda crazy (surprise!), and China bans YouTube. All that and more on this episode of the 404!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

China blocking YouTube to suppress Tibet rioting?

People all over China are reporting that YouTube access has been blocked, possibly in connection with a Chinese government crackdown on Tibet, according to a colleague of mine at CNET Asia.

"I can't access the site here, either, and a quick ping through my network utility does show 100 percent packet loss, indicating that a block is likely in effect," Rick Martin, who reports from China, writes on his blog. As evidence, he includes this screenshot taken from his computer:

"There were some videos uploaded to YouTube already about the demonstrations, but this block will definitely … Read more