Beijing Makes Net Cafes Spy on Its Behalf

China’s ruling Communist Party has been unnerved over the past year by the success of “Jasmine Revolutions” in North Africa and the Middle East.

Epoch Times Gary Pansey & Veronica Wong

World News | Comments | July 29, 2011

Businesses in Beijing that offer wireless Internet, such as coffee shops, hotels, and bars, must now install user monitoring software, the Communist Party’s Public Security Bureau has decreed. The cost—20,000 yuan or US$3,000—is to be footed by the businesses themselves.

An online Chinese language news portal, 163news.net, reported on July 27 that Beijing resident Ms. Wang found on the previous day that a coffee shop she frequents in the Dongcheng district has stopped providing Wi-Fi free of charge. Inside the shop, there’s also a notice posted by the Public Security Bureau indicating that “network providers cannot offer free wireless internet.” The owner told her that in the week before July 1, the local police station distributed a document to schools and hotels, indicating that places offering wireless connectivity are required to install a “safety monitor” program before enabling Wi-Fi, otherwise, all free wireless provided to customers will be cancelled. Because of the costs, the owner decided to no longer offer wireless in the shop. More...

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