Administrative Provisions for Electronic Bulletin Services on the Internet
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Article 7. For Internet information service providers that have already obtained an operating permit or carried out the filing procedures and that intend to operate electronic bulletin services, a special application or a special filing for the record shall be made with the original approving or filing authority.
The telecommunications administration authorities of the provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government or the MII shall complete the examination within 60 days from the date of receipt of the special application or the special filing materials. If the applicant is qualified, approval or filing for the record shall be granted and a special indication shall be made on the operating permit or in the filing for the record; if the applicant is not qualified, the approval and the filing for the record shall be rejected, and a written notice with an explanation of the reasons for rejection will be issued to the applicant.
Article 8. No organizations or individuals may undertake electronic bulletin service operations without going through the procedures for special approval or special filing for the record. Article 9. No one shall distribute information on electronic bulletin services that includes any of the following contents:
(1) content that violates the basic principles of the Constitution;
(2) content that impairs national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state sovereignty, or jeopardizes national unity;
(3) content that damages the reputation and interests of the state;
(4) content that incites racial hostilities and ethnic discrimination or jeopardizes unity among the ethnic groups;
(5) content that damages state religious policies or that advocates cults or feudal superstitions;
(6) content that disseminates rumors, disturbs the social order, or damages social stability;
(7) content that disseminates obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence, homicide, or terror, or incites crime;
(8) content that insults or slanders others or that infringes on others' legal rights and interests;
(9) other content that is prohibited by laws or administrative regulations. Article 10. An electronic bulletin service provider shall prominently indicate its operating permit number or filing number and electronic bulletin service rules in a prominent place on the electronic bulletin service system, and shall remind Internet users of the legal responsibilities for releasing information.
Article 11. An electronic bulletin service provider shall provide services according to the categories and columns covered by its approval or filing materials and shall not provide services other than such categories and columns.
Article 12. An electronic bulletin service provider shall protect the confidentiality of the Internet users' information and shall not divulge it to others without the consent of the Internet users, except in cases where the laws stipulate otherwise.
Article 13. If an electronic bulletin service provider discovers that information on its electronic bulletin service system clearly falls within the contents listed in Article 9 hereof, it shall immediately delete such information, keep relevant records, and make a report to the relevant state authorities.
Article 14. Electronic bulletin service providers shall record the contents and time of the information released on the electronic bulletin service system,, as well as the Internet addresses or domain names. Such records shall be kept for 60 days and shall be made available upon inquiry from the relevant state authorities in accordance with the law.
Article 15. Internet access service providers shall record the online accession time of the Internet user, user account numbers, Internet addresses, or domain names and the principal telephone numbers of the Internet users. Such records shall be kept for 60 days and shall be made available if inquiries are made by state authorities in accordance with the law.
