US Says China's Online Gambling Censorship Violates WTO Rules
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk joined with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in sending a letter to China protesting the forced installation of software on all new PCs in the country to censor pornography and online gambling. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US officials complained the Chinese action constitutes censorship, interferes with free speech, compromises Internet security, and violates World Trade Organization regulations.
Internet casino operators were stunned at the US proclamation, which seems to accuse China of all the same actions that online gambling supporters have leveled at the US and its Internet gaming ban. Among the issues raised by US enforcement of the UIGEA have been WTO violations detailed by Antigua and the European Union, interference with the Internet, censorship and the denial of personal liberties to US residents.
The letter from Kirk and Locke "expressed that the U.S. government is seriously concerned about the [software requirement], including wide-ranging concerns about the scope of the measure, the censorship implications, trade impact and security flaws which create serious problems for the IT industry and Chinese consumers," a US government spokesman said.
Further, US officials representing the USTR, State, and Commerce departments met with officials from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to express that the blocking software would conflict with what a US Embassy spokesman called "internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression."
Chinese leaders had announced recently that, as of July 1st, all PCs sold in the country would have to have the so-called Green Dam software installed. Chinese officials said at the time that the block would only ban pornography and other undesired sites, which include online casinos.
Chinese spokesmen said the measure was necessary to protect the children, a tired excuse for censorship often given by US supporters of limiting freedom and interfering with other people's private affairs.
