Government revs up cyberspace rules

Legislation to regulate the Internet and root out nuisances like spam has greatly accelerated over the past five years, the China Internet Network Information Center reported today.

The number of laws, rules and guidelines related to the Internet reached 76 at the end of 2014, a 262 percent year-on-year increase, said the center's cyberspace report, which also reviewed Internet industry developments over the past five years.

The bulk of the legislation came from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which was established early last year to govern the Web.

The administration championed fights against illegal or improper online behaviors, the report said. It also noted achievements such as the blocking of spam texts, in a joint effort with China's telecom giants such as China Mobile, and a campaign to root out terrorism-related audio and videos online.