In the latest development, about 25 Chinese tech firms have pledged on Tuesday to combat online images and information that aim at promoting terrorism.
The Chinese tech firms, which include Baidu Inc, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Sina Corp, JD.com and Tencent Holdings Ltd, have taken an undertaking to handle terror-related harmful and illegal information in a timely manner and create a clear Internet space as well as maintain social stability, Reuters reported quoting China's Cyberspace Administration. While Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com and Sina did not respond to request for comment, a spokesman from Baidu refused to comment on the issue.
The Chinese Internet regulator further informed that more than 25,000 posts, over 4,000 videos and as many as 200 accounts having illegal content related to terrorism have been put down already. According to the Chinese Internet regulator, the move came in the wake of a new anti-terror law passed by China.
It is worth mentioning here that in December last year; China passed a contentious anti-terrorism legislation, which required tech firms together with companies owned by foreign investors opening up a patented source code to Beijing and also work closely with the Chinese government in combating terrorism.
However, several critics of the government have alleged that the authorities have been utilizing the recent law on counter-terror and national security to thwart freedom of speech, Chinatopix reported. In fact, this also led the United States State Department to express "serious concerns" over the issue. The State Department even stated that the new regulation was likely to cause more harm than good.
As expected, China has not only rejected all such criticism but defended its stand saying that the authorities have turned to the laws of the United States and other countries before passing the legislation. Chinese foreign minister Hong Lei said that the new regulation will neither curb any legal operation of these tech firms, nor have any effect on the companies' intellectual property (IP) rights or the "freedom of speech" the Internet users. "The new regulations do not provide a back door," Lei said.
At the same time, China has said that the country is faced with grave threats from terror groups like the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is active in China's Xinjiang region. This restive far western region of China is the base of the Muslim Uighur people and witnessed several deaths in violent incidents in recent years.
Watch the video on terrorism evidence released by China below: