Authorities in Shanghai now require that all internet cafés install updated monitoring software, a move that will entail even closer monitoring of what internet café users access. The Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and Television stated they had already requested 1,350 Shanghai internet cafés, amounting to 110,000 computers, to install the new monitoring software. Officials claimed that this move would greatly improve the local authorities’ power to police internet cafés.

An official from the Shanghai culture inspection team confirmed this, but then refused to provide further details.

In Shanghai, every Internet café has the public security bureau’s internet monitoring system installed. The previously installed monitoring system has been used to block certain web sites and is capable of monitoring possible activities that Internet users engage in. The latest computer monitoring software will soon be installed in all the computer terminals.

Mr. Huang, technical president of American UltraReach Internet Corp, specializes in breaking through China’s internet blockade. He says that monitoring software installed in every computer could allow the monitor to know every action of internet users.

Huang commented that, “if every screen were to be monitored, the transfer process may still not be blocked. Through doing so, one can most probably find screen displays that have sensitive content. Such technology is available, which is even capable of capturing screen displays. For instance, one can capture whatever another types on the keyboard, even every keystroke. Then when one monitors, one can monitor every computer screen display. Such a practice is a violation of one’s individual rights.”

Mr. Huang says that from the technical perspective, both intranet and internet monitoring devices can be broken through using various means. However, the latest monitoring software in Shanghai technically cannot be broken through. This may seriously impair the protection of privacy rights.

He used examples to explain, “If customers do shopping on the internet or manage their bank accounts, their information cannot be kept confidential, because everything can be viewed at a glance by the authorities.” He urged Shanghai internet café users to avoid using internet cafés to manage confidential and personal information.

Huang says that his definition of a violation of individual rights is that if one uses the internet to read some private emails, while the content is seen on the other side. Thus, this is a violation of privacy. This very issue has been regularly discussed, since the emergence of the internet: respecting people’s basic privacy rights.

Mr. Huang says, “the internet industry follows the rule of keeping personal information absolutely confidential, but Shanghai’s new computer monitoring software ignores such a rule and will cause great damage to the development of Chinese internet and technology.”