China has shut down 225 websites, including gaming sites, and more than 4,000 micro blogging sites and 30,000 accounts, according to China’s State Internet Information Office.
Many more gaming websites may see closure soon, as another campaign targeting gaming and video-sharing sites that distribute pornographic imagery is due to launch later this month.
Of the number of sites shutdown this month, 163 websites and 21 other sites will be punished according to the law. The mass shutdowns are part of a campaign, which started in late last month, to crack down on illegal and unregistered sites spreading pornography.
The offending sites were found guilty of posting pornographic images, articles, films, self-made videos and advertisements for prostitutes. The Office received at least 70,000 tip offs for more than 450 websites during the campaign, it said in a statement.
According to the State Internet Information Office, most of the sites shut down were found to be unregistered. In China, it is a requirement to register a website with government departments. The office has advised the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to punish the telecommunications providers of the offending websites.
To combat unregistered sites, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will also launch a nationwide campaign against unregistered websites and those who use forged site licenses and illegal internet access.
The office has also advised Chinese telecommunication providers to punish those who run the sites and to punish those who provide them with the service.
The State Internet Information Office is a department created by the Chinese government in May, 2011 to create a unified body to oversee internet policing in the country.