Spammers on the brink of illegality

THE PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTRY started cracking down on illegal online information services in May. Since then, more than 200 criminal suspects have been seized in 40-plus cases across China. Procuratorate Daily commented on Tuesday:

All of the criminal suspects caught in the ministry’s campaign were the network spammers, shuijun, which is a term for those who blackmail enterprises and government departments or officials by fabricating rumors or phony consumer comments.

In many cases, they are self-employed, although sometimes they are loosely organized through chat groups on social media.

Although the internet user population in China — more than 751 million by July — dwarfs the number of people who are part of the online spammers, the power of their damaging shots should not be underestimated.

They are invariably experts in using the internet to manipulate people’s opinions by making up the “facts” according to their agenda or the needs of their employers.

For these spammers, whose activities are on the brink of breaking the law, the internet provides countless opportunities. Their harmful practices disrupt the order in cyberspace and violate people’s rights.

Inernet users should enhance their media literacy and raise their awareness of the complexity of the opinion market in cyberspace, since they are not only the users but also constituent participants of cyberspace.

It is the shared responsibility of the authorities and every netizen and network operator to create a healthy online environment.

It is customary when people get into difficulties while hiking or mountaineering for local governments to organize rescue teams. That has been the case even when they have illegally entered areas that are out of bounds.

However, rescue missions can be costly, and not only in terms of money.

In 2010, when trying to rescue 18 students who got into trouble exploring an off-limits area in the Mount Huangshan, the local police had to organize a big team, and one policeman died during the search and rescue operation.

In other words, those who illegally enter forbidden areas and get into trouble not only require taxpayers’ money to extricate themselves from their predicaments, they also pose a risk to others. It is unfair for taxpayers to pay to help them escape the consequences of their illegal behavior. It is even more outrageous that people should pay with their lives trying to help them.

Of course, we do not mean local governments should not help those who put themselves and others at risk in this way. However, according to the National Tourism Law, those who request rescuing should pay the costs. That clause has seldom been implemented due to the lack of detailed measures. The regulation introduced by the Mount Huangshan Scenic Site administration marks a good start by making clear the standards and conditions in which people will have to pay when rescued, and we hope more scenic spot management authorities will follow suit.

Rural living environment improvement action plan