Just this month, the Chinese government has announced that, beginning July 1, a filtering program called Green Dam must be pre-installed in every PC in China before sale on the market. This software is designed to monitor user behavior. If the user types in sex-related or politically sensitive keywords, the software then reports it to authorities. Its slogan is “关爱孩子健康，绿色上网“, or “take care of children’s health, internet surfing goes green”.

This has become a hot topic on the internet in China. One survey from Dayuwang asked “Do you want your computer to be filtered?” Over 86% of the 4346 participants answered no. Obviously, only few people believe it can do something helpful.

Some views from Chinese netizens:
1. People’s right to know is not respected; such a national-wide decision should not be announced less than one month before its implementation;
2. Does it also monitor the personal information? Infringement of privacy?
3. Why is there only one software provider? Why only Green Dam? Does it break the competition law? What is the background of the developer?
4. Are all netizens children? Don’t we have self-discipline?
5. How do western children grow up? Those adult magazines, Playboy and Penthouse can be easily purchased in their nearby supermarket.
6. The government has spent 41.7million RMB (6 million USD) only for buying a year’s annual fee? What if users just re-install the system and un-install the software?
7. Why don’t we have the public hearing?
8. Does the Green Dam over-protect? It is just a normal software: nothing hi-tech about it. It may block some information which is not really sensitive.
9. Is the software able to filter the undesirable content in English/French?
10. Is the software perfect software? Many hackers have already prepared to attack the software or may use it as platform to attack other people’s computer.

Most people believe the government’s initial idea of protecting children from harmful internet information is acceptable, but very doubtful whether this Green Dam project is a proper way to realize this.

More related readings:
Information Week: China ‘Green Dam’ Censorware Called Security Risk
People’s Daily: 今天你被”花季”护航了吗？- Have you been escorted by “HUA Ji Green Dam” today?
UMICH: Technical Analysis of the Green Dam Censorware System
Global Voices：China Green Dam PC filtering
The Wall Street Journal: China Squeezes PC Makers
Danwei: Is the Green Dam filter experimenting on computer users?