China calls for realtime censorship of satellite broadband
- Reference: 1727675113
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/09/30/china_satellite_censorship/
- Source link:
In its latest [1]draft rules , the Cyberspace Administration of China proposes any organization or individual using terminal equipment with direct connection to satellite services is not allowed to "produce, copy, publish, or disseminate content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations, such as content that incites subversion of state power, overthrows the socialist system, endangers national security and interests, damages the national image, incites secession of the country, undermines national unity and social stability, promotes terrorism, extremism, ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination, violence, pornography, and false information."
It clarifies that terminal equipment includes civilian handheld, portable, and fixed terminals, as well as terminals installed on aircraft, ships, and vehicles – essentially any device that enables users to access satellite communication systems for voice calls, text messaging, and data exchange.
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The document states that providers must align their operations with national security and network security requirements, and prevent illegal activities.
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This includes complying with China's cyber security, data security, and personal information protection laws – plus potentially being responsible for users' activities.
"If a terminal equipment direct satellite service provider finds that a user has published or transmitted information prohibited by laws and regulations, it shall immediately stop the transmission, take measures such as elimination in accordance with the law, preserve relevant records, and report to the relevant competent authorities," stipulates the CAC.
[5]Chinese broadband satellites may be Beijing's flying spying censors, think tank warns
[6]China claims Starlink signals can reveal stealth aircraft – and what that really means
[7]Would you rather buy space broadband from a billionaire, or Communist China?
[8]Amazon's Project Kuiper slips to end of 2024 for first full-scale launch
The draft rules further include articles that would make tracking of providers and users easier. This includes requiring providers to:
Obtain licenses and approvals, whether telco, radio frequency related or otherwise;
Collect real identity information from those using its services, as China [9]already requires of telcos;
Integrate monitoring and supervision into their platforms to allow Beijing's oversight;
Locate ground facilities – such as gateway stations and Earth stations – and user data on Chinese soil. Any data that does need to go overseas must be processed through a gateway approved by the telecommunications regulatory department of the State Council.
The rules even go so far as to require anyone who uses satellite broadband to publish news – or distribute video and audio content – to obtain a license.
The rules mean that non-Chinese satellite broadband operators will need Beijing's approval to offer their services in the Middle Kingdom.
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China is an enormous market, but The Register can't imagine that space broadband players like SpaceX or Amazon will be keen to sign up for Beijing's rules – especially as Elon Musk's professed fervent belief in free speech is at odds with China's desire to monitor content and require takedowns. Then again, maybe it's not as fervent as his desire to sell lots of Teslas in China.
The CAC includes other items that provide an overall industry vision – such as encouraging the construction of satellite communication systems and making them compatible and interoperable with network architectures. It also states it would like to cultivate technical talent in the industry and actively participate in the formulation of relevant international rules and standards.
A deadline for feedback was set for October 27, 2024.
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China [12]launched its first space broadband satellites into orbit in August. In all, 108 satellites are slated to go up this year to start the Qianfan constellation, followed by 540 more in 2025. China aims to have 15,000 internet-slinging satellites in low Earth orbit by 2030.
It has been [13]suggested that the constellation system will help run and export the nation's content censorship system, known as the Great Firewall – a hypothesis lent significant credence by these draft rules. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.cac.gov.cn/2024-09/27/c_1729036112375138.htm
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zvp2wyNOTMolAxtMZchDwAAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zvp2wyNOTMolAxtMZchDwAAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zvp2wyNOTMolAxtMZchDwAAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/28/aspi_china_satellite_broadband_risk/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/17/china_starlink_stealth/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/08/china_qianfan_launch/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/28/amazon_project_kuiper_q4/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2012/12/31/tech_news_in_asia/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zvp2wyNOTMolAxtMZchDwAAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zvp2wyNOTMolAxtMZchDwAAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/08/china_qianfan_launch/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/28/aspi_china_satellite_broadband_risk/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
E H Shephard
Oh bother, so no streaming any of that indecent filth by A.A. Milne then. I always thought that getting ones head stuck up the honey pot was was pretty thinly veiled!
If the jar fits wear it. :)
I suspect it was the resemblance of the Grand Poohbah of Cathay to the sticky pawed bear in E H Shephard's original illustrations that has drawn the ire of the middle kingdom. Quite a few of Shephard's illustrations could be used to draw political parallels. Pooh aloft holding a balloon surrounded by angry bees is an obvious one but Pooh plummeting headfirst from a tree has to be favourite.
I suppose screening Blood and Honey in the PRC is also out of the question?
"...damages the national image"
I would have thought that China's image could get no lower and this sort of proposal certainly will not help.
"...ethnic discrimination"
Tell that to the Uighurs.
Is it really an internet
if it doesn't carry pr0n (or indeed, cats)?
The dirty mac, obvs --->
I wish China good luck
Now that we have Starlink, like it or not, I wish China good luck in getting its firewall on there.
It is now possible, maybe, for a Chinese citizen to have a direct link to the world without Beijing's oversight. And there will be more constellations that China will not control.
The door is opening, Xi. You're going to have to deal with that some day.
Re: I wish China good luck
I always wonder if they (the commies) always read their own propaganda or, at least occasionally, they understand how things are really going; if the latter is true, I guess they are trying to delay the door opening as much as possible because they know it's not gonna end well for the CCP member (especially the hi ranking ones).
Re: I wish China good luck
It will take generic devices being able to connect to satellite services in order to greatly dent the CCP's desire to control information flow across Chinese borders.
This regulation being published now will just be extended to make it illegal to own or operate equipment capable of communicating with anything other than their own domestic satellite network. The punishment will probably be disappearing forever, never to be seen again.
It will only be possible to break this when it becomes impossible to police it because of the ubiquity of equipment capable of interoperating with devices outside of the national firewall. And as China makes most of the equipment that enables WAN communication, this is going to take a long time to come about.
TW ground stations?
If a satellite operator didn't have facilities in any PRC controlled territory but in neighbouring nations (say Taiwan for maximum provocation) then there would be few sanctions and little leverage that the PRC could apply to the operator. I imagine it might be quite difficult to detect clandestine client terminals. Especially if the terminals could be reduced to the size of a large cellphone.
Of course if you were caught using such an unapproved service your chestnuts would be well and truly in the fire but generally if you are detected doing anything that offends the sensibilities of the Party irrespective of any absence of overt illegality you will receive an invitation to a byo testicle shish kebab party.
Oh bother, so no streaming any of that indecent filth by A.A. Milne then. I always thought that getting ones head stuck up the honey pot was was pretty thinly veiled!