China announces strict new rules for domain name registration

The government regulator that control's China's .cn top-level domain has clamped down on website name registration in the country, requiring prospective website owners to have business licenses and complete paperwork before they can register their domains.

UK tech publication The Register says that the crackdown was prompted by a recent profusion of pornography and malware hosted in .cn domain names. Computer security vendor McAfee says that the domain rocketed to second on the company's list of "dirtiest" top level domains, trailing only Cameroon - popular with cybercriminals due to its .cm's similarity to the ubiquitous .com.

The Chinese government takes a much stricter line on internet censorship than most western nations, blocking websites for a wide variety of reasons, including "anti-state activity" and "lewdness." While there are ways to circumvent the so-called great firewall of China, the government comes down hard on violators of its internet policies.

Some western companies that do business in China - like Google - have been criticized by free speech advocates for their perceived willingness to bend to the Chinese regime's draconian policies.