China's pornography law loophole
Cyber-nudist acquitted of pornography charges in Beijing
Pornography charges against a 36 year old woman arrested three years ago after taking off her clothes and chatting with other Internet users via webcam have been dropped in Beijing's Shijinshan district after prosecutors found that nude chat rooms were not defined in China's pornography laws. This case is understood to be the first of its kind in Beijing.
The news comes amidst the announcement of a new six-month campaign to crack down on online pornography which the Chinese government says has "perverted China's young minds".
In the largest and most controversial porn-related case to date, Chen Hui, the operator of what was said to be the largest porn site in China, received a life sentence in November 2006. Prosecutors said Chen's operation hosted more than 600,000 registered users, who were able to access more than 9 million pornographic images.
Two Saturdays ago, more than 42 million audio/video discs and illegal publications were destroyed all across China. Long Xinmin, the chief of the State Press and Publication Administration, is quoted in the Post Chronicle as saying at the start of the burning:
"Through the act of destruction, we wish to show to the world the firm determination of the Chinese government in protecting intellectual property, and being firm against any infringement of intellectual property rights and piracy, and to improve the awareness of the general public in fighting against pornography and illegal publications,"
Just a few days ago, Baidu's Japanese website, which has links to pornography and critics of the Chinese government, has been blocked in its home market.
The very salacious Asian Sex Gazette tells us that despite a coordinated effort by 10 government agencies to remove porn from the internet (we wish them luck!), "cyber-sex remains widely available to anyone who wants to search hard enough".
With news of Li's acquittal, online nudists can now breathe a collective sigh of relief. To celebrate the momentous occassion, Shanghaiist intends to go online in search of a cyber-romp tonight. But damn, we first need to get ourselves a web-cam!
