China will launch a six-month campaign to crack down on bogus news agencies that extort money from local officials and businesses. (Photo : Reuters)
A six-month campaign targeting online extortion will be launched by the Chinese government. The announcement was made by China's Cyberspace Administration on Jan. 21, Wednesday.
Deputy director Peng Bo said that Chinese netizens are complaining about some Web-based media outfits abusing publishing rights and defacing both public and private enterprises with false accusations. Peng also noted that some of these websites will invoke the name of "China" and other national agencies while posing as "civil rights groups" for credibility.
China's social media WeChat and Sina Webo will not be spared by the government.
Case in point is the alleged payoff of 200 million yuan ($32.1 million) of The 21st Century Business Herald by more than 100 companies last year in exchange of "deleting" negative news from the website.
Peng further stated that some PR companies are engaged in website news bribery in exchange of squelching negative news about their clients.
Another case last year was that of Yang Xiuyu, owner of Beijing Erma Company, who received 531,000 yuan for posting false news and then immediately deleting posts upon payoff. Yang was later sentenced to four years in prison.
Peng said that "similar illegal business operations receive complaints of extortion." Peng added that the main task this 2015 will be the "eradication of these bogus operations."
Peng said that different public ministries, including industry and information technology, as well as China's media watchdog will participate in this campaign drive.
The government media watchdog will consequently launch a campaign to monitor its own officials, as it was later found out that some illicit government officials are in connivance with the bogus websites and the PR companies engaged in payoffs.
Case in point is the that of bureau-level public official Gao Jianyun who was investigated last year for allegedly receiving cash payoffs in exchange of squelching bogus online news.
The campaign against online extortion is in line with the Communist Party's Discipline Inspection that requires public officials to be morally upright before they can properly function and inspect others.
Whistleblowers are encouraged and promised a reward of 50,000 yuan for every case solved.
