China was to implement the rule beginning on Wednesday but it has been postponed, Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.<\/p>\n
The brief dispatch gave no other details.<\/p>\n
China sparked criticism worldwide last month after it emerged that computer makers would be required to include the Green Dam Youth Escort anti-pornography software in all new personal computers.<\/p>\n
The US and EU, industry groups, Internet freedom groups and even some Chinese state media reports had criticised the plan amid fears it was a bid by China to increase its already tight controls over the Internet.<\/p>\n
China has a history of blocking access to sites carrying politically sensitive topics such as the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on democracy protesters, the banned Falungong spiritual movement, or criticism of the government.<\/p>\n
Beijing has said the Chinese-made software will filter out pornography, protecting young people within the world’s largest online population.<\/p>\n
But questions have also been raised about the Internet software’s security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n
Researchers at the University of Michigan who examined the software have said it contained serious security vulnerabilities that could allow outside parties to take control of computers running it via remote access.<\/p>\n
Some Chinese Web users had called for a boycott of all online activities on the July 1 roll-out of the regulation.<\/p>\n