What is Green Dam for?

Computer software companies and International Internet constrain “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” A software, which is pushed to be installed on computer by China’s government, gives a good sample of blinding netizen’s eyes.

China demanded that until July 1, 2009, all personal computers sold in the country, must be shipped pre-installed software named Green Dam, in order to prevent access of pornographic websites. The government also urged the international PC makers, which sell computers in China, should also pre-install the software on computers. Green Dam is a new kind of anti- pornography software. It aims to make efforts to protect 'young people from harmful web contents.

However, cases had been shown that the software was not only block pornographic websites, but also sensitive political words. “In the 3.17 version, language processing turns on blocking for political and religious content by killing browser tabs and applications and even other user applications like notepad. The kill action is triggered by entering a particular URL into the location bar or window of the browser.” Following pornographic websites, some legal websites were blocked too. This ‘additional function’ is far away from the purpose of software be used. Meanwhile, consumers were not informed of that function and some information was filtered. Netizen is deprived of freedom of gaining information. That is against Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The second violation is that the software keeps monitoring personal communications and Internet browsing behaviour of users. The software “actively monitors individual computer behavior, such that a wide range of programs including word processing and email can be suddenly terminated if content algorithm detects inappropriate speech.” The fact of monitoring of users behaviour refers to violation human rights. Either article written by users or email are belongs personal privacy. They should be protected by national law. According Constitution of the People’s Republic of China Article 40, the freedom and privacy of correspondence of citizens of the People's Republic of China are protected by law government treated this new software in a special way. It probably duo to monitoring and filtering forbidden words and event are of benefits to the government.

As an enforcement act, all computer companies have to install Green Dam. However, the cost of the software will be shared by companies. It could be seem no companies would like to add this part of cost on themselves. They would probably shift the cost to consumers. The government has paid 41.7million RMB (approximately 3.79million GBP) for develop Green Dam. Although government announced that Green Dam is free for consumers, who will pick up the tab for government? It might be either computer producer or consumers. For the more, the consumers have no choice to buy a computer without Green Dam software.

The feedback of consumers leans to rescind the announcement. Local media and netizen published thousands of articles to accuse the government of violation of human rights. At the end of Green Dam controversy, the government have to abolish the announcement. Although it could be count to success of human rights, there is still no one to accuse the huge payment of software developing.