China - More than 40 per cent of web sites were closed as tightened content regulation was enforced

[Mashable] China shut down more than 40% of websites based in the country between 2010 and 2009, according to a study by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a state-sponsored think tank.

Despite the 1.3 million Chinese sites that were shut down, the study insists there is a high level of Internet freedom in China.

“This means our content is getting stronger, while our supervision is getting more strict and more regulated,” Liu Ruisheng, a Chinese researcher told the BBC.

The Chinese government has tightened regulations on websites and the content they post. Even though China’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech, the government is able to shut down websites under a “subversion of state power” clause and if their content is deemed unfit. Human rights groups have dubbed this effort the Great Firewall of China. In June, the UN declared disconnecting people from the Internet a violation of human rights.

China Shut Down 1.3M Websites in 2010 [STUDY]