Internet boycott calls to mark China filter debut

By Yu Le and Emma Graham-Harrison

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Internet users are calling on fellow web surfers to stay offline on July 1, the debut of a controversial software filter that critics say the Chinese government is using to tighten censorship.

New regulations from Beijing mandate "Green Dam," a program sold by Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co., be pre-installed on personal computers manufactured or shipped after July 1. China says the filter is designed to block pornography.

But many web users and activists both inside and outside China fear a campaign against "unhealthy" sites is a pretext for a wider crackdown on groups and websites that the government fears or disapproves of.

The U.S. embassy said it viewed with concern any attempt to restrict the free flow of information, and was worried about both the potential impact on trade of the software and the serious technical issues raised by the use of Green Dam.

Outspoken Beijing artist Ai Weiwei, who helped design the landmark Olympic Bird's Nest stadium but has become an increasingly vocal critic of the government, called on web users to boycott use of the Internet on the day of Green Dam's debut.

In a post on Twitter (www.twitter.com), Ai called for the low key protests to mark a day that is also the anniversary of the founding of China's Communist Party.

"Stop any online activities, including working, reading, chatting, blogging, gaming and mailing," Ai wrote in the Chinese-language post. "Don't explain your behavior."

Ai told Reuters he hoped the boycott would gather support because it offered an easy way to make a stand in a country where vocal opposition to government policy can be risky.