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China plans to require that all personal computers sold in the country as of July 1 be shipped with software that blocks access to certain websites, a move that could give government censors unprecedented control over how Chinese users access the internet.

The software must either be preinstalled on the hard drive or enclosed on a compact disc. Chinese executives involved in the effort say the software is intended to block access to pornography…

Read full story: Wall Street Journal

Updates:  UPDATED Jun 17, 2009 11:19 AM PST
China backs away from mandating Internet-filtering software Boston Globe, Jun.17.2009
China backpedals on filtering software order AP, Jun.16.2009
Green Damned Rebecca MacKinnon, Jun.16.2009
China's computers at hacking risk BBC, Jun.11.2009
On China's new, mandatory censorship software Dan Wallach, Jun.10.2009
Green Dam filtering software scorned by many Chinese Rebecca MacKinnon, Jun.9.2009
China defends screening software BBC, Jun.9.2009

Related topics: Censorship, Internet Governance