The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Notice to Pre-install Internet Filtering Software on All Computers [1]
MIIT Soft [2009] No. 226
All Relevant units:
In order to build a green, healthy and harmonious Internet environment, to avoid youth being impacted by hazardous information from the Internet, according to provisions in the Government Procurement Law, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Central Civilization Office and the Ministry of Finance hereby jointly announce that the Central government will provide free usage of the Internet filtering software Green Dam Youth Escort (“Green Dam Youth Escort software”) for the nation. The central Treasury has funded the purchase of a one year right to use this software and its related services. Comprehensive tests and pilot applications have proven that such software can effectively filter unhealthy text and image content on the Internet; it is ready for pre-installation by computer manufacturers.
In order to further consolidate the achievement of rectifying against the low and degrading trends on the Internet, to protect the healthy growth of minors via both punishment and prevention, to promote sound and orderly development of the Internet, and to follow the national strategy of protecting against the low and degrading trends on the Internet, the following are the specific requirements for pre-installation of Green Internet filtering software on all computers.
1. All computers produced and sold inside China must pre-install the latest version of Green Dam Youth Escort software before they leave the manufacturer; all imported computers sold in China should pre-install the latest version of Green Dam Youth Escort software before they are sold.
2. Green Dam Youth Escort software must be pre-installed on the computer’s hard drive or the CD that comes with the computer, and also as back up files in the hard drive restoration system and recovery CD.
3. The provider of Green Dam Youth Escort software should take active measures to support computer manufacturers during the pre-installation.
4. All computer manufacturing and sales enterprises should complete all the related testing for Green Dam Youth Escort software pre-installation by the end of June 2009. All computers sold after July 1, 2009 should pre-install the Green Dam Youth Escort software.
5. All computer manufacturers and the Green Dam Youth Escort software provider should submit the sales volume of computers and the filtering software, along with any suggestions, each month to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The total annual sales of pre-installed filtering software for the previous year must be submitted before the end of February 2010.
For the computer manufacturers that do not pre-install the required software in time, do not report sales volume in time, submit false reports and/or refuse to report, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will order them to report and/or make required corrections within a limited time.
The Education Foundation’s Second Letter [2009] No. 3
All provincial, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government Education Bureau (Board of Education), the Department of Finance (Bureau), the Information Office (Internet Management Office, Internet Publicity Office), all separately planned municipalities’ Department of Education, Financial Bureau, Information Office (Internet Management Office, Internet Publicity Office), the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corp’s Bureau of Education, Finance Bureau, Information Office (Internet Management Office, Internet Publicity Office):
In order to better implement the scientific development concept, to comprehensively promote the quality of education in primary and secondary schools, to create a healthy and positive learning environment on the Internet for primary and secondary school students, and to purify the campus Internet environment, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Council Information Office (hereinafter referred to as the four departments) decided to provide free Internet filtering software for all primary and secondary school computers. The details of the notice are as follows:
First, the tasks and requirements:
1. All local educational administrative departments and primary and secondary schools must fully recognize the adverse impact of hazard information on the Internet to students, pay great attention to prevent and control adverse information on the campus network, and take effective measures to ensure a safe and healthy campus Internet environment in primary and secondary schools.
2. In order to prevent hazardous information from entering the campus network, the central government financed the purchase of Green Dam Youth Escort software for the free usage by primary and secondary schools to filter adverse information on the Internet. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is responsible for the download and user services of the Green Dam Youth Escort software.
3. All local educational administrative departments should conscientiously implement the installation of the Internet filtering software, strengthen guidance and management, and designate responsible persons for this work, to ensure that all campus computers connected to the Internet install the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software before the end of May 2009.
Second, installation and maintenance:
1. Each school should download and install the Green Dam Youth Escort Internet filtering software through the Internet. See the attached file for download and installation instructions.
2. The Internet filtering Team under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will send upgrade notices through the Internet for the Green Dam Youth Escort software; each school should update the campus computers to ensure the effective operation of the software.
3. Each primary and secondary school should include the maintenance of Green Dam Youth Escort software as part of its daily management. This work should have a high priority and a responsible person must be designated.
Third, inspection and guidance:
Local educational administration departments should periodically and randomly inspect the work of filtering hazardous Internet information on the campus network. After the installation of Green Dam Youth Escort software, the four departments will form a special inspection team to inspect the installation and operation of the software by each primary and secondary school.
Appendix: Green Dam Youth Escort software download and installation instructions
The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Council Information Office
April 1, 2009
Large-scale Pre-installation Is Being Carried Out
According to information disclosed on the Lvhang web page, some personal computer manufacturers have begun the pre-installation. On May 18, the web page announced that “PC manufacturers Green Dam pre-installation training is fully implemented.”
……
Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information technology indicate that by the end of March this year, there were about 95 websites in China offering free download of the Green Dam Youth Escort software. The software was downloaded about 3,266,800 times; about 2,279 schools installed the software on about 518,300 campus computers; about 6,957 websites installed the software; a total of 1,163,500 computers completed the installation.
According to media reports, including the countryside home appliance market, the total installation of Green Dam software is as much as about 52.7 million units.
■ Background
All primary and secondary schools installed the Green Dam software
Prior to requiring that all computers pre-install the Green Dam software, the Ministry of Education required that all primary and secondary schools nationwide install the software on campus computers connected to the Internet.
Prior to this, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Council Information Office jointly studied the campus promotion strategy for Internet filtering software programs. On April 1 of this year, it issued The Notice to Install Internet Filtering Software for All Primary and Secondary School Campus Networks. The Notice states, “to create a healthy and positive learning environment on the Internet for primary and secondary school students,” all local education administration departments should conscientiously implement the installation of the Internet filtering software, “to ensure that all campus computers connected to Internet install the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software before the end of May 2009.”
The notice requires primary and secondary schools to include the maintenance of Green Dam Youth Escort software as part of daily management, and to designate a specific responsible person. It also requires local education administration departments randomly to inspect the work of filtering hazardous Internet information on the campus network. In the meantime, the four departments will form a special inspection team to inspect the installation and operation of the software by each primary and secondary school.
Earlier, the software was tested in some primary and secondary schools in Guizhou, Henan and some other provinces and cities. Relevant authorities concluded that the software was effective.
All Computers in the Countryside Home Appliances Program Pre-installed the Green Dam Software
The Green Dam software has been servicing many computers that farmers received in the countryside home appliances programs. It is reported that “all computers sent to the countryside were installed with corresponding information filtering and protection software when conditions permitted. The most popular filtering software installed is called the Green Dam Youth Escort software.”
It is reported that this was mainly to help the “farmers who had limited experience with computers” to avoid computer viruses problems and thus to reduce the burden of after-sales services. “At this moment the importance of information filtering is highlighted.”
News reports in March disclosed all Lenovo computers sent to the countryside were pre-installed with the Green Dam software. Later computers sent by Founder, the Great Wall, the Wave, Tsinghua Tongfang, and Haier will also be installed with the Green Dam software.
Endnotes:
[1] The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, http://www.miit.gov.cn/n11293472/n11293832/n11293952/12398220.html
[2] The Hubei Province Education Information website,
http://xxdt.e21.cn/e21web/content.php?id=469
[3] Nanfang Metropolitan Daily, June 9, 2009, http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/nfjx/200906090005.asp