Definition: Civil Internet Use (文明上网)

Luo Dongchuan (罗东川), the Supreme People’s Court Policy Research Department’s deputy director, elaborated in an interview with People’s Net (人民网, via Enorth) the other day on the concept of civil use of the internet (文明上网).

Q: From a judicial perspective, what does the broad meaning of civil internet use imply for the netizens?
从法律角度来讲，文明上网对广大网民来说，意味着什么？

A: From a judicial perspective, the essence of civil internet use is to access the internet in accordance with the law. It has to be done, above all, in accordance with the law, being active or expressing one’s views on the internet. The internet is no paradise, and no space without any constraints. The requirements of the rule of law need to be the proper course of doing things.
从法律角度来讲，文明上网的实质就是依法上网。文明上网首先要做到依照法律规定，在网上开展活动或者是发表意见。 网络不是一片净土，也不是一个没有任何约束的空间，必须要纳入到法治规范的轨道。

[…]

Q: Where would uncivlized behavior on the internet hit the legal bottomline?
哪些常见的不文明上网行为触及到了法律底线？

A: Although the internet is a virtual world, it is still constitutes a component of social life, and needs restrictions. To violate the reputation, privacy, to publish other peoples’ information or material on the internet, or to insult or slander others, such behavior frequently occurs on the internet.
Besides, as online banking and online transactions have become more and more common, problems with violations of peoples’ legitimate economic rights will occur.
[Details of internet crimes]
虽然互联网是一个虚拟的世界，但实际上仍然是社会生活的一个组成部分，必须受到法律约束。侵犯别人的名誉权、隐私权，把别人的信息、资料在网上进行公布，或者是对他人进行侮辱、诽谤，这样的行为在网上是经常发生的。
此外，网上银行、网上交易活动越来越多之后，会出现一些侵犯他人正当经济权益的问题。

Q: Which duties at all levels of society do you see in guiding internet users’ civilized use of the internet?
您认为在引导网友文明上网方面，社会各层面有什么样的义务？

A: The law is essential for the harmony and development of society, but it is only a bottomline standard for social behavior. The healthy development of the internet is a task for all of society. Only if it can depend on all of us defending it, the internet will develop in a healthy way, and only then can we really make good use of the internet.
法律是社会和谐、社会发展不可缺少的，但是它只是规范社会行为的一个底线。网络的健康发展，是全社会共同要做的事情。只有靠我们大家共同维护，才能使网络得到健康的发展，我们才能真正使用好网络。

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Note
A campaign for civil internet use and joint building of harmony (文明上网，共建和谐) had been launched in August, by these and other organizations. (including the supreme people’s court). It came to a close on November 25, with prizes being awarded to organizations and netizens in a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

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Related
Ding Gang discusses the Real World, December 13, 2010
“文明上网, 共建和谐” … 颁奖活动, People’s Net, Nov 25, 2010
Propaganda will Set You Free, August 9, 2009
Porn Watchers: Search and Enjoy Destroy, June 20, 2009
A Civilized Internet, Danwei, April 20, 2006