China has agreed to delay today's deadline for personal computer makers to put controversial internet filtering software on all new computers in the country following a storm of protests at home and abroad.
“Depending on the concrete situation, [they] can pre-install [the program] later,” the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said last night in a statement issued through Xinhua, the official news agency.
The last-minute climbdown, which averts the threat of fines for computer makers, follows Beijing's order to PC makers last month to start pre-installing Green Dam/Youth Escort – domestically developed net nanny software. The move led to security concerns among PC makers and outrage among Chinese internet users.