China has issued a new regulation setting out wide-ranging police powers to inspect internet service providers and users, as the government tightens its grip on the country’s heavily restricted cyberspace. Local media reports: Under the new rule, effective from November 1, central and local public security authorities can enter the premises of all companies and entities that provide internet services and look up and copy information considered relevant to cybersecurity. The regulation was issued by the Ministry of Public Security last month and released on its website on Sunday. It comes more than a year after a controversial cybersecurity law was introduced that has caused widespread concern among foreign companies operating in China. Despite its broad scope, the legislation gives few details about implementation, making it all the more difficult for companies trying to avoid its repercussions. Analysts said the new regulation sheds some light on how the law will be implemented. “That’s obviously how Chinese laws go. First there is a big concept, then there is a sweeping law, and then implementing regulations will come in to flesh out the details,” said William Nee, a China expert with Amnesty International.
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Source:: Slashdot