Yahoo Officially Lands on China's Porn List

By Kevin Parrish, published on November 9, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: , , , , | Themes: The Internet, Business
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China is now going after Yahoo and it's photo-sharing website.

After smacking Google around with its anti-porn stick a few months back, the Internet Society of China--the Chinese government's "watchdog" patrolling for porn and other sensitive subjects--is now going after Yahoo and the photo-sharing website it is currently hosting. More specifically, the government is accusing Yahoo of violating social morals by allowing the pornographic material on its domains.

Computerworld reports that the Chinese version of Yahoo Space provided the offending visuals, however Alibaba Group, the local e-commerce group that owns Yahoo China, closed Yahoo Space a week ago. A spokesperson for Alibaba Group said that the company is currently restructuring Yahoo Space to "focus on entertainment features." Yahoo Space was a site that allowed registered users to share their photo albums with attached blogs.

Currently there's no word if China will take the same "blocking" action it used with Google. To appease the Chinese government, Yahoo may install age gates or an approval process when Yahoo Space eventually re-opens for business. Additionally, Yahoo may need to change the algorithm of its China search engine to block problematic material slipping through.

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Comments

CoryInJapan 11/10/2009 12:57 PM
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hmmmm although Im not so much for promoting porn but still freedoms are freedoms and I think the Chinese government is waisting valuable resources on something not worth the time of day.People that want to look at porn on the net will find it no matter what.

nun 11/10/2009 1:00 AM
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one word to define china: 1984

Anonymous 11/10/2009 3:34 AM
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Better do like the Red Chinese want or pretty soon they won't be buyin' our debt and we'll be flyin' the Communist Chinese flag over here.

jisamaniac 11/10/2009 8:18 AM
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nun :
one word to define china: 1984



It's been like that before 1984.

the dark wall 11/10/2009 11:05 AM
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When will those Chinese government assholes learn? People want freedom, so give it 2 em! I feel sorry for those Chinese guys stuck there... Hong Kong is so much better!

longerlife 11/10/2009 11:29 AM
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1984 isn't a word...

mystoccowgod 11/10/2009 1:57 PM
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"People want freedom" not always true

Anonymous 11/10/2009 2:07 PM
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I agree with nun and he's not actually referring to the year but a book.

theuerkorn 11/10/2009 3:49 PM
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Why do we have to wave the moral stick on others? Seems overly restrictive to me, but I am not Chinese either.

Rab1d-BDGR 11/10/2009 4:33 PM
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We all know porn is just an excuse. They don't want any photos of Chinese authorities beating the crap out of unarmed civilians.

Jarvis 11/10/2009 4:44 PM
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Ipsec would work wonders for these peeps I'm guessing.

ssalim 11/10/2009 4:59 PM
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What happens when you say "no" to a kid? that kid will do it.

homrqt 11/10/2009 5:07 PM
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China keeps putting the clamps on everything and one day their population is going to revolt in a big way. Trying to take away porn can have some adverse effects...

romansky 11/10/2009 10:10 PM
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OK OK, there's porn on YAHOO... but why no examples???

city_zen 11/11/2009 12:17 PM
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jisamaniac :
It's been like that before 1984.



You don't get it. He/She didn't mean 1984, but 1984

virtualban 11/11/2009 9:41 AM
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homrqt :
China keeps putting the clamps on everything and one day their population is going to revolt in a big way. Trying to take away porn can have some adverse effects...


My current self, if suddenly moved to China, would want to live free or die trying. Then the survival instinct would kick in and change that want, and would change my current self to somebody I would not recognize (and I mean that truly, not just porn, but all information/opinion/decision wise self).

gomi 11/13/2009 3:24 AM
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Yahoo classified as porn? Ridiculous

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