While many United States citizens are in an uproar regarding the online gambling ban that is being enforced by the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), Chinese citizens are about to be hit by something far bigger than US citizens can even imagine.

The Chinese government has ordered that from July 1st, all personal computers that are sold within China are to come with inbuilt software that blocks a number of websites.¬† The block is primarily attacking online pornography, ostensibly to “protect the children,” however, a number of other sites will also be blocked.

On the list of other sites that will be blocked apart from pornography, online gambling¬† sites feature near the top of the list.¬† Other sites that will be blocked are any sites that do not fit the Chinese government’s political agenda, such as any site that mentions the military action, and its resulting tragedy at Tiananment Square, any site with a connection to the banned spiritual movement, Falun Gong, amongst many others.

When looking at the list, one has to wonder why the Chinese government bothered to note that they were planning to ban these sites to “protect the children.”

The Jinhui Computer System Engineering Company in China, has developed the website-blocking software that will be installed on all computers for sale in China.  The software will work along similar lines to anti-virus software, with auto-updates expanding its capabilities.  The auto-updates will add more banned sites to the already extensive list as time goes on.