Starting September 1, police in China's capital will use animated officers to walk, bike or drive across a user's browser viewing 13 of China's top portals every half hour with warnings to stay away from illegal Internet content. By the end of the year will appear on all Web sites registered with Beijing servers. The animated police appeared designed to startle Web surfers and remind them that authorities closely monitor Web activity. The male and female cartoon officers, designed for the ministry by Sohu, will offer a text warning to surfers to abide by the law and tips on Internet security as they move across the screen in a virtual car, motorcycle or on foot. Clicking on the cartoon images will redirect the user to the authority's Web site.

News source: Physorg


There are 13 additional comments
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Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by simsie on 28 Aug 2007 - 21:28
I am sure adblockers will adjust to block this...or someone will do something.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by Advancer on 28 Aug 2007 - 21:31
I really feel sorry for the people of China, having to live with their police hanging over their shoulders 24/7.

Free information!
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #3 Posted by geek24 on 28 Aug 2007 - 21:33
Man everywhere I went in China there were these animated police officers basically saying "we are watching", so it doesn't surprise me that this is happening. I wonder if they will use the same animations...
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #4 Posted by acnpt on 28 Aug 2007 - 21:34
Well at least they let the people know they are being watched I suppose, not just secret police.
Although of course I think their lack of internet/media freedom is a bad thing.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #5 Posted by geek24 on 28 Aug 2007 - 21:50
Well from what I saw they try to regulate things. And they try really hard, but with 1.3 billion of them its really hard to control it all. I mean when you go to an Internet cafe in Beijing, you have to be 18, and you can't go to facebook and stuff like that, cops are everywhere ect. But outside of Beijing, like X'ian you can go to these "underground" cafes (dirty, hidden in large markets, and full of pick-pocketers) and do whatever you want. Same goes for everything pretty much. Its no wonder they are trying very hard to crack down, because they really arent doing a good job.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #6 Posted by RAID 0 on 28 Aug 2007 - 22:02
I'd like to see a program that let's you "take out" these animated figures, and by "take out" I mean blast with an RPG.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #7 Posted by Pixil Eyes on 28 Aug 2007 - 22:25
Very soon this country will have a civil war.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #8 Posted by Bl4ckDmon on 28 Aug 2007 - 22:26
Poor China.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #9 Posted by osirisX on 28 Aug 2007 - 22:39
I wanna go to one of these sites just to see one of these things scroll across my browser window
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #10 Posted by ambiance on 28 Aug 2007 - 22:46
One way ticket to China please.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #11 Posted by Croquant on 28 Aug 2007 - 23:34
Hahah... pathetic.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #12 Posted by naap51stang on 29 Aug 2007 - 01:50
It's a shame that China does that to their people, but, they (the politicians who control China) saw what happened when
the former soviet union allowed a little freedom. The people demanded to be free once they saw the grass really was
greener on the other side of the fence. I remember one story where a man immigrated to the USA from Russia, and
the first time he went to a supermarket, he told someone that he realized that what his former country had told him for YEARS about the west was a lie.
Until the PLA (peoples liberation army) releases its grip on the chinese people, it will never change.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #13 Posted by LaXu on 29 Aug 2007 - 12:23
Who wants to bet that the officers only walk around in IE?
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