China Begins Monitoring Billions of Text Messages

eldavojohn writes "The Telegraph is reporting that China has begun monitoring 'billions of text messages' in order to increase censorship. However, a People's Daily article claims they only monitor users who have been reported, and only shut down their message service if the complaints are true. Anything considered pornographic will require the user to bring a letter of guarantee to the local public security bureau promising to never again send such messages before service can be reactivated."

Monitoring is universal

[Kanel]

private text messages are being recorded in the US as well, by the government and possibly private enterprises too. Recall the text messages sent on 9/11, which was posted anonymously on wikileaks.org. The only difference between the west and china is that they act upon the monitored data more extensively, the breach of privacy is the same.

Re:Doesn't this violate the 1st Amendment?

[lorg]

No. They live in China, they don't have your fancy 1st Amendment.

Re:Monitoring is universal

[maxume]

Those were pager messages, not SMS messages (the way pagers work, any dude with some equipment can listen to *everything*; the way SMS works, only the phone company can listen (well, and anyone who can order the phone company around)).

Re:Monitoring is universal

[Kanel]

The european SMS "culture" appears more widespread and mature than the US one. It has been a killer app since the late 90's, when prices dropped. I recall being surprised around 2002 when talking with US friends and realizing that many of them had cellphones with no SMS capability. "surely your cellphone is broken or something?" I asked.

As for cheap, in parts of Africa there's almost a whole "language" based on the messages you can send just by calling and hanging up before it answears. the time of day or no. of missed calls forms a code that can be transmitted for free.

Re:Government protest?

[Psyborgue]

No. ECT and all that does not work as well as traditional thought reform. Brainwashing, done properly, is a process almost completely devoid of physical coercion... Here's a chapter from a book on the topic (Brainwashing in China) [rickross.com]. Interestingly enough, the structure of Chinese thought reform is more or less identical to that used by many cults (which isn't to imply a causal relationship... similar structures can form in parallel). Also, the term brainwashing was first coined by the Chinese [wikipedia.org].

US 1st amendment corresponds to their Article 35

[tepples]

No. They live in China, they don't have your fancy 1st Amendment.

You're right. All citizens of China have is Article 35 [peopledaily.com.cn], translated: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration."