Olympic organizers cut deal to censor Net access

Allowing journalists access to an uncensored Internet apparently isn't on the International Olympic Committee's list of things to do before the Beijing games begin next week.

A day after journalists learned their Internet activities would be limited, a senior IOC official admitted to Reuters on Wednesday that committee members had cut a deal to let the Chinese government block sensitive Web sites, despite promises of unrestricted access.

"I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on Web site access during games time," IOC press chief Kevan Gosper told Reuters, referring to Beijing's Olympic organizers. "I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered games related."

The revelation came a day after journalists learned that organizers had backtracked on earlier guarantees that journalists would have access to an uncensored Internet at the Main Press Center and athletic venues. The announcement meant that thousands of reporters working in Beijing during the next several weeks won't have access to a multitude of sites deemed embarrassing to the Chinese government, such as Amnesty International or any sites related to the crackdown in Tibet or the banned spiritual group Falun Gong.

When Chinese officials were bidding for the right to hold the games seven years ago, they assured international organizers that there would be ''complete freedom to report.'' In April, Chinese organizers told International Olympic Committee members that Internet censorship, which is routine for China's citizens, would be lifted for journalists during the games.

However, IOC members issued a clarification Tuesday, saying that Internet freedom applied only to Web sites related to ''Olympic competitions.'' Some journalists expressed frustration at the slow download rates and even voiced suspicion that it was deliberate and intended to discourage use.

Media watchdog Reporters without Borders said it was increasingly concerned that journalists would face many cases of censorship during the Olympics.

"We condemn the IOC's failure to do anything about this, and we are more skeptical about its ability to ensure that the media are able to report freely," the group said in a statement.

[Balfor]

It's more than just 'sensitive websites' that are being blocked here. Any URL with the words "feed" or "blog" in the address are also blocked. This means, for example, the Reuters news feed: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/350709456/idUSL059472420080730 is currently blocked here in Beijing.

In a move to avoid employing hundreds of extra staff, the Beijing government has left it up to the various community ISPs to enforce censorship rules, with the warning that if any ISP is found to be allowing access by customers to "unsavory" and "anti-government" or "anti-Chinese" websites, they will be "severely punished".

Since the exact meaning of what constitutes the above types of sites is unfathomably vague, ISPs energetically endeavor to block anything their staff may feel necessary (most of who speak little English or other foreign language -- thus allowing for a large number of otherwise harmless websites to be arbitrarily blocked).

Punishments have ranged from hefty fines, to shutting down the infringing company, to prison terms for management and responsible staff.

As it stands now, many of the writers here whose home reporting sites are now blocked will attempt to transmit encrypted text to alternate internet addresses, since all SMTP (email) is intercepted and run through keyword filters.

[gerrrg]

The IOC needs to release the list of sites so that we may judge for ourselves, unless they've granted themselves paternalistic rights to decide for us.

[djtechie]

As if the IOC hasn't been stained by past allegations of undue influence, this sort of backpeddling reinforces my disdain for the Olympic movement and what it's supposed to stand for. If journalists now have to operate with their proverbial hands tied with no means of free and unrestricted access, then this to me is just shades of Berlin.

This will make it even worse for Chinese citizens, as the Chinese government has an even larger pool of guinea pigs to test out its various censoring tools to employ.

[sanenazok]

What a big surprise! The pink-o IOC comprised of Frenchies and their friends bows down to China. They wanted to keep the Iraqis out because of political interference, shouldn't they have threatened the same with the Chinese? I'm sure the Chinese Olympic Committee is a lot less independent than the Iraqi one was.

I wouldn't even blame China for the filtering fiasco, except that the Chinese should have been up front about their intentions. Doing so would have cost them the Olympics though, so to save face there was a little backroom deal with IOC *ussies. This makes me want to watch the Olympics even less and I've been to China!

[Lerianis]

Hey, I have been called a 'pinko' and I wouldn't bow down to China like this. Frankly, I am going to be writing some SCATHING letters about this to my local newspaper, which has (more than once) posted my viewpoints.

[joetesta70]

F CHINA

[ThomasCrampton]

If you are a journalist headed to China, here's some tips on getting around the Great Firewall and protecting your privacy from the government:

http://www.thomascrampton.com/china/beijing-olympics-advice-from-ex-cnn-journalist/

[Dead Soulman]

Well, I'm doing my part and not watching this p.o.s. excuse for an Olympic event. I'm sorry for our athletes who've worked hard to get there and are not responsible for the OIC's decisions. The OIC has shown its true colors and disregard for the Chinese people. F--- them.

[Dalkorian]

Personally, I'm with you bro. What's the point of watching Olympic coverage when you KNOW the media is being censored? How much coverage do people expect when China's athletes don't fare well and how truthful will coverage of Chinese athletes successes be? All we know for sure is the Chinese government is deciding what the Olympics will look like for everyone across the globe and I for one have no interest in what the Chinese government wants us to see.

America should just boycott the Olympics. What's the point, athletes won't be able to breathe anyway because of all the pollution in Beijing and all the coverage you'll see will be filtered down so that the truth of what really happened won't be evident. Screw it.

[fokkwp]

One lesson not to miss: how easy it easy, for pragmatic reasons, to become part of a censorship program. We can blame the IOC, the IOC can blame Communist officials, and the officials will cite other dire necessities, but everyone is participating for reasons they consider legitimate. If you think censorship happens just because there is an evil regime somewhere, you miss the lesson that is before you. Google is another example we've seen recently.

[Jim Harmon]

Is this really a problem for NETWORK journalists? Don't they have their own satellites which can be set up to allow internet access?

[rae2_2]

So they've finally found a way to censor our internet. If the Chinese can do it, any country can. And if any country can, they will.

There goes most of the value in the internet for me. Censoring the internet is akin to Agents of the State visiting our libraries and culling material not deeming "suitable." Nice to know the political gestapo is alive and well... and still firmly in control of our lives.

[rae2_2]

Too bad they aren't censoring what goes OUT as well... these Olympic "games" have become 95% pure BUSINESS and 5% sport. Who needs them? If the millions who'll be parking their ***** on the couch to watch would spend as much time actually DOING some activity, they and this country would be much better off.