Chinese authorities have launched yet another crackdown on internet porn and vulgarity, this time targeting 19 websites, including search engines Google and Baidu.
The official Xinhua newsagency said the text and image searches on both the major search engines yielded a "huge quantity" of links to pornographic sites. Neither company had taken steps to modify the search results despite receiving complaints, Xinhua said.
Sina, Sohu, Netease, Tencent, Tianya and 131 were also among the popular sites on the blacklist.
The campaign was launched Monday by seven agencies, led by the State Council News Office, the IT, public security and culture ministries, and the broadcast regulator.
Cai Mingzhao, deputy director of the State Council news office, said the internet was flooded with vulgar and crude content, "seriously harming the body and mind and health of youth on a huge scale".
He said the content breached PRC laws on protecting women and youth and the Internet News and Information Service Management Law. He called on local authorities to deal seriously with those who broadcast obscene and crude content.