CHINA barred individuals from applying for Chinese domain names, ending
with .cn, from yesterday as part of a national campaign against
pornographic content spread online, the industry regulator said.
Applicants
for domain name registration are required to hand in written
application forms, with a business license and the applicant’s identity
card, according to the China Internet Network Information Center
(CNNIC).
The new application system will help the CNNIC better
regulate the Internet environment in the country and crack down on
improper content online, experts said.
CNNIC decided to screen
applicants’ qualifications strictly to stop individuals obtaining
domain names using fake information, said Liu Zhijiang, vice director
of the regulator.
"The applications in written form can help us do our work more accurately," media reported quoting Liu.
The more than 13 million existing Websites with the domain name .cn won’t be affected, according to CNNIC.
The announcement came after a report by China Central Television aired criticism of the CNNIC’s registration process. China has strengthened the battle against pornographic content spread online, including shutting down file sharing Websites.
