Chinese police have launched a nationwide online crackdown to
delete pornographic pictures of several Hong Kong celebrities and
pledged to close any websites that published the raunchy
photos.
The step is the latest in authorities' bid to control the spread
of the photos, which show Hong Kong actor and singer Edison Chen
and several female stars naked in bed and in sexual poses.
The scandal has created a media frenzy and heated discussions on
BBS communities both in Hong Kong and on the mainland since late
January.
Some Internet users shared the 800-plus pictures by e-mail or
posting them on other websites.
Police in Beijing warned that anyone found sending the pictures
to friends, even for free, will be detained for a maximum of 15
days. Posting the photos online violates the Security
Administration Punishment Law, the Legal Evening News
reported yesterday.
Those who have sent more than 200 nude pictures via email, chat
rooms and BBS will be investigated under criminal law, the police
said.
The Beijing Internet News Information Review Council, initiated
by the government-sponsored Beijing Association of Online Media,
issued a statement on Monday rapping Baidu.com, the biggest Chinese
search engine, for "behaving badly."
The association "severely criticizes Baidu's behavior" and
demanded the company make a public apology for spreading the nude
pictures.
In Hong Kong, up to 10 people were detained for spreading the
photos.
And in the southern city of Shenzhen, police have apprehended 10
suspects for allegedly producing, selling and purchasing discs of
the photos.
Three suspects were given five-day administrative detention, and
two others were under criminal detention and still being quizzed by
police.
Thirteen online portals on the mainland have issued a joint
statement asking domestic websites to boycott the nude photos. It
urged netizens and website staff to be self-disciplined and halt
the spread of the photos.
So far, more than 40 domestic websites have rallied to support
the joint statement.
(Shanghai Daily February 21, 2008)