China Internet Network Information Center
 | |
| Type: | Non-Profit |
| Industry: | State Network Administration |
| Founded: | 1997 |
| Founder(s): | The People's Republic of China |
| Ownership: | The Ministry of Information Industry |
| Headquarters: | 4, South 4th Street, Zhongguancun, |
| Country: | China |
| Website: | CNNIC.net |
CNNIC is an acronym for the China Internet Network Information Center. It is a state-controlled body which is often charged with drafting and carrying out new anti-liberalization policies.[1] Since 2008, it has also been acknowledged as the Secretariat of APAC, the anti-Phishing Alliance of China.[2]
As of June, 2007, CNNIC reported there were some 162 million internet users in China; this represents an increase of over 25 million from only January of that year. At that same time the United States had about 211 million internet users.[3] Since then, the amount of internet users has increased exponentially; and, as of December of 2010, CNNIC reported the presence of 457.3 million users.[4]
Main Business
CNNIC self-describes its main intentions and endeavors as:
- Domain Name Registry Service- Responsible for the administration of the .cn ccTLD registry,and the Chinese Domain Name system.
- IP Address and Autonomous System Number Allocation Service- CNNIC initiated the IP Allocation Alliance, which provides IP address and AS Number application services to domestic ISPs and users.
- Catalog Database Service - Maintains the state top level network catalog database, providing information search services of internet users, web addresses, domain names, AS numbers, etc.
- Technical Research on Addressing- Undertakes research on typical network infrastructure in an attempt to improve it.
- Internet Survey and Information Services- Undertakes statistical surveys regarding internet services for the public. Some of its surveys can be found here.
- International Liaison- as a Network Information Center, or NIC, it works closely with NICs of other countries.
- Secretariat of the Internet Policy and Resource Committee, Internet Society of China- Undertakes projects, research, and policies to better administer the internet for the people of China.[5]
Security, Censorship, and Controversy
It has been noted that .cn is often synonymous with viruses and spam to the international community, and their is disagreement whether the measures CNNIC has taken to curtail this activity is effective or justified.[6]
Ever concerned about internal and external political threats, CNNIC and the Chinese Government often see the internet as one of the most threatening resources available to any potential opposition.
The Green Dam Youth Escort was an attempt to mandate all computer producers to distribute filtering software with their products. The project received government backing in April, 2009, and a few months later it was pressing forward with a universal requirement of the filter.[7] The filter was immediately downloaded and used by schools and other areas of the public sector, but many businesses and individuals took issue with the mandate. The project was eventually scaled back and a universal requirement never seems to have been fully enforced.[8]
However, in December of that year, new and very broad restrictions were announced. About 700 websites were shut down, and others came under scrutiny with threats of termination. Individuals were banned from registering .cn websites, which are now only open to Chinese corporations.[9] The ban against foreign individuals, registrars, and other entities registering .cn domains came in January, 2010.[10]
Constant pressure is put on blocking pornography, and other threatening material, which include bans on Facebook and Twitter.[11]
CNNIC has been accused of monitoring its internet users with malware and spyware;[12] this is compounded by Mozilla, Microsoft, and Mac's addition of the CNNIC root to its CA, Certificate Authorities, where malware is not required but monitoring is achieved through trusted encryption tools.[13]
CNNIC and ICANN
ICANN has been working with CNNIC in its efforts to expand TLDs in Chinese characters. In May, 2010, CNNIC announced that it had received approval from ICANN to create the TLD ".zhongguo" (written in pinyin).[14] .Zhongguo domain names are available in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters.