China is launching an effort to gain more control of the Internet, which would include policing websites and even building an Internet "kill switch."
According to The Wall Street Journal, China has been making progress at seizing control of at least part of the Internet.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and some of the country's lawmakers, military leaders, and technology officials are trying to gain influence over China's digital arena, ranging from the manufacturing of computer parts to gaining more control of what users post on social media, reports the Journal.
The country recently passed a
controversial national security law, under which falls the Internet, food, religion, and even the ocean. Regarding the Internet portion of the law, China will bolster its cyber defenses and also would like network technology to be "controllable," reports the Journal.
Other portions of the law would press Chinese companies to use local vendors for technology, and building an Internet "kill switch" for use in national emergencies.
The efforts come as the United States seeks to bolster its own cyber defenses amid reports that Chinese hackers have been behind several data thefts, including one that resulted in the personal information of
more than 21 million current and former federal employees being stolen. The same hackers are alleged to have
breached United Airlines' servers as well.
The hack that exposed the federal workers is said to have
started a year ago.
At the same time, western companies are bending their own rules in order to conduct business in China. A partnership between
IBM and China for example, is raising eyebrows in some circles, and is bumping into efforts made by the White House.
And social media giant LinkedIn, reports the Journal, will censor its content in China to please the Chinese government's strict rules.
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