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Translation: Provisions on the Administration of Internet Public Account Information Services

Provisions on the Administration of Internet Public Account Information Services Issued on: September 7, 2017 Issued by: Cyberspace Administration of China Source: http://www.cac.gov.cn/2017-09/07/c_1121624269.htm Article 1. In order to standardize Internet public account information services, safeguard national security and the public interest, protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, these Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the "Cyber Security Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "State Council Notice Regarding Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Assume Responsibility for the Management of Internet Information Content." Article 2. These Provisions shall apply to the provision and utilization Internet public account information services within the territory of the People's Republic of China. As used in these Provisions, the term "Internet publ

Translation: Provisions on the Administration of Internet Group Information Services

Provisions on the Administration of Internet Group Information Services Issued on: September 7, 2017 Issued by: Cyberspace Administration of China Source: http://www.cac.gov.cn/2017-09/07/c_1121623889.htm Article 1. In order to standardize Internet group information services, safeguard  national security and the public interest, protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, these Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the "Cyber Security Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "State Council Notice Regarding Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Assume Responsibility for the Management of Internet Information Content." Article 2. These Provisions shall apply to the provision and utilization Internet group information services within the territory of the People's Republic of China.   As used in these Provisions, the term "Internet group information services&q

Man Jailed Seven Months for Saving ISIS Videos on Phone and Baidu Cloud Storage

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On September 8, 2017, the People's Court of China website posted the judgment of a court in Beijing imposing a seven month prison sentence on Duan Zheng on the grounds that he violated Article 120-6 of China's Criminal Law (illegal possession of materials promoting terrorism and extremism) for saving seven terrorist videos on his cell phone and his Baidu cloud storage account. In reaching its judgment the court noted: There was no evidence that Duan distributed or shared the videos or showed them to anyone else. Duan used VPN software to "climb over the wall" to access the overseas websites from which he downloaded the videos.  The court rejected Duan’s defense that he downloaded the videos out of curiosity and because he found them exciting, notwithstanding the fact that he had also downloaded videos of car accidents with graphic violence. Duan “should have been able to discern” that the content of the videos at issue promoted terrorism and extremism. The onl

Man Jailed for Providing Islamic Instruction on Tencent’s WeChat Messaging Service

On June 12, 2017, the People's Court of China website posted the judgment of a court in Xinjiang which upheld a two year prison sentence for Huang Shike on the grounds that he violated Article 287-1 of China's Criminal Law (“illegal use of information networks”) when he used two WeChat (Weixin) groups to “carry out discussion and instruction of religious texts.” The court cited the following specific actions of Huang as grounds for his conviction: He once taught others how to pray; He discussed how there was support in the Koran for the animal sacrifices made at the Gadhimai Festival. The court also stated that WeChat groups were “non-religious venues” and that “it is not permitted to engage in religious activities in non-religious venues.” China’s Criminal Law was amended in November 2015 to add Article 287-1, which provides as follows: Article 287-1 [The Crime of Illegal Use of Information Networks]   1. whoever commits one of the following acts through the use of

Translation: Provisions on the Administration of Internet Comments

Provisions on the Administration of Internet Comments Issued on: August 25, 2017 Issued by: Cyberspace Administration of China Source: http://www.cac.gov.cn/2017-08/25/c_1121541842.htm Article 1. In order to standardize Internet comment services, safeguard national security and the public interest, protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and these Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the "Cyber Security Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "State Council Notice Regarding Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Assume Responsibility for the Management of Internet Information Content."   Article 2. Internet comment services within the territory of the People's Republic of China shall comply with these Provisions.   As used in these Provisions, the term "Internet comment service" refers to websites,  applications, interactive communication platfor

Translation: Provisions on the Administration of Internet Forum Community Services

Provisions on the Administration of Internet Forum Community Services Issued on: August 25, 2017 Issued by: Cyberspace Administration of China Source: http://www.cac.gov.cn/2017-08/25/c_1121541921.htm Article 1. In order to standardize Internet forum community services, promote the healthy and orderly development of Internet forum community services, protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and safeguard  national security and the public interest, these Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the "Cyber Security Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "State Council Notice Regarding Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Assume Responsibility for the Management of Internet Information Content."   Article 2 These Provisions shall apply to the Internet forum community services within the territory of the People 's Republic of China.   As used in these Provisions

Court Cites GFW Circumvention Software in Convicting Man for Three Tweets That Incited Ethnic Hatred

According to a judgment issued by the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Kuitun Municipal People's Court in March 2016 (translated below) Tian Weiguo was sentenced to three years imprisonment for three posts he made on Google Plus and Twitter that "incited ethnic hatred." In its judgment the court specifically noted that Tian had used software to circumvent China's Great Firewall in order to make his posts on overseas websites. The issues that Tian were posting about related to an outbreak of violence in Xinjiang in 2014 that was reported by Chinese state run media outlet the Global Times in an article entitled " Xinjiang Vows Unceasing Terror Crackdown ." Some excerpts: Xinjiang authorities revealed details of the Shache county terror attack on July 28 in a Saturday meeting chaired by its Party chief, putting the death toll at 96 and calling for a resolute crackdown to eradicate terrorists believed to be linked to overseas masterminds.  In one of the

Woman Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Tencent QQ Posts That Insulted Leaders and Policies

According to a judgment issued by the Jinzhou People's Court in December 2016 (translated below) a defendant, identified only as "Ms. Li," was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for posting information Tencent's QQ service that "spread rumors, stirred up trouble, confused public opinion, seduced the public, triggered severe chaos in public order, and exhibited a certain social perniciousness." Ms. Li was convicted of disturbing the peace (寻衅滋事 - often literally translated as "picking quarrels and provoking troubles"). The court did not specify what Ms. Li posted or how it created "severe chaos." The court did say that it included images and text that "insulted and vilified foreign and domestic heads of state, national leaders, and national religious policies as well as false information about major domestic incidents." The original decision is available on the court's website here:  http://wenshu.court.gov.cn/content/con