China delays controversial Internet filter plan

By David Stanway and Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will delay a controversial plan to force manufacturers to bundle Internet filtering software with new personal computers sold in the country, in an abrupt retreat announced hours before the policy was due to start.

The climbdown was reported late on Tuesday by the official Xinhua news agency, which said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology would "delay the mandatory installation of the controversial 'Green Dam-Youth Escort' filtering software on new computers".

The "Green Dam" plan, which officials said was to stamp out Internet pornography banned in China, was to start on Wednesday, but had been assailed by critics of censorship, industry groups and Washington officials as politically intrusive, technically ineffective and commercially unfair.

The announcement left open the possibility of the scheme returning. "The ministry would also keep on soliciting opinions to perfect the pre-installation plan," Xinhua cited an official as saying.

But critics are likely to see the announcement, giving no fresh date for a launch, as a way for the government to escape quickly from the domestic and international controversy it attracted since the plan was revealed earlier this month, giving manufacturers little time to prepare.

"I would say we would welcome this," said Susan Stevenson, a spokeswoman for the United States' embassy in Beijing.

"DOOMED TO FAIL"