China will blacklist the producers and distributors of spy
software, or spyware, in a bid to safeguard Internet safety,
Wednesday People's Daily reported.
"The blacklist will be published regularly," the Internet
Society of China (ISC), an influential professional organization in
China's information industry, reportedly announced at a seminar on
Tuesday.
The ISC would set up a team focusing on defining spyware, which
would be responsible for reviewing, writing and publishing the
blacklist.
The organization said it hoped network server companies would
exercise a high level of self-discipline and refrain from producing
or spreading the software.
Spyware was a growing threat to Internet security as it could
lead to serious damage to computer systems and the release of
private information.
The ISC, which was founded in 2001 under the auspices of the
Ministry of Information Industry, would also set up a hotline to
receive public complaints of spyware.
The organization said it would develop and provide more free
software to help Internet users protect themselves.
With nearly 120 million Internet users, China is the world's
second largest Internet market after the United States.
(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)
