Feb. 13, 2006 issue - China's Internet police force has come up with a new way to control Web surfers: adorable cartoon police officers that stand watch at the side of Shenzhen Web sites and bulletin boards—constant reminders that Big Brother is watching.
Click on the creatures and you're redirected to a site where you can chat live with a real cop. "People should pay attention to their behavior when they are surfing on the Net," said a senior Chinese official in a statement. The move is ham-handed, amusing and intimidating—though it remains to be seen how seriously the Chinese take the characters.
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