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People’s Daily: Placing a Straitjacket on the Internet

Recently, in response to waves of online reports netizens have posted about the corruption of government officials, People’s Daily published a series of commentaries on tightening the control of speech on the Internet.

On December 23, 2012, People’s Daily published a commentary titled, “With a Bottom Line, [the Internet] Can be Healthy.” The commentary stated, “Openness does not mean a person can do whatever he likes; freedom of expression does not equate to cursing all over the place; information sharing does not mean a person can freely publish others’ private affairs and spread rumors everywhere.”

On December 24, People’s Daily published another commentary on the same subject, titled “Place the Straitjacket of the Rule of Law on the Internet World.” The author advocated, “Only by placing the straitjacket of the rule of law on the Internet, … and making the offenders bear the burden of their offense, can we possibly rein in those irresponsible rumors.”

Source: People’s Daily, December 23 and 24, 2012
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2012/1223/c1003-19983605.html
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2012/1224/c1003-19994325.html