Submitted By: David Zarcone

I recently journeyed down to Santa Barbara with my Technology Entrepreneurship class to visit an MIT Enterprise Forum. One of the various speakers at the “Digital Technology in Filmaking” event spoke about the rapid growth and popularity of “YouTube.” This reminded me of an article that I read just a few days prior regarding China’s version of “YouTube” and how it is causing trouble for Beijing.

Tudou.com, China’s largest video sharing website (more than a billion minutes of video per day, 30% more than YouTube) had a knack for showing clips that could not be shown on Chinese TV. Some of you may have seen the video of the China Central Television’s 2008 Olympics inauguration where a woman questioned China’s morality. “If Chinese have no humane values to present to the world, what is the purpose of the Olympics after all?” Of course, this video had 650,000 views on Tudou but was soon removed (it is still on YouTube however.) Other videos have been deleted causing much controversy such as risqué scenes from films and even a clip of drunken Chinese police officers beating up a college girl.

In response to these, online video posting will be limited to state-owned or state-controlled video providers and all amateur video clips will be immediately deleted. Clips with violence or sex are to be considered “detrimental to the nation’s security.” (This law was to take effect on January 31, 2008.) However, many people believe that enforcement will not take full effect because it may violate current laws. One analyst said “the government just wants to show its power over the industry.” Of course the government wants to control what their citizens can see and do online, but they do not want the possibility of distancing themselves from the overseas financiers who have invested deeply on China’s Internet growth (Western venture capitalists have put $120 million into the industry since 2004.)

This topic is closely related to the human rights issue discussed recently. The comment on how TV in Hong Kong cuts away to commercial when issues like universal suffrage are about to air is a relevant example. What do you think about this topic? Although YouTube is one of the most popular ways for Americans to express their opinions publicly are companies like Tudou in danger? Do Chinese citizens have any form of free speech without government censorship or restraint?