China orders PC makers to install blocking software

• Computer makers told to install blocking software
• Move aimed at porn sites could have political use

Computer makers in China have been instructed to pre-install blocking software on every PC hard drive from next month, under a government push to control access to the internet.

China's authorities currently block overseas-based sites they disapprove of, such as those relating to Tibetan independence, or the Falun Gong spiritual movement, with a mesh of filters and keyword restrictions, widely known as the Great Firewall.

Control over domestic servers is applied through instructions to content providers and search engines, which must self-censor to stay in business.