Pornography, some other previously blocked websites accessible in China; reasons unclear

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    Date: 
    4 June 2010

    BEIJING, China — Some websites, including ones with pornography, that were previously blocked by China's Internet censors were accessible inside the country Friday, though reasons for the change were unclear.

    But China on Friday blocked Web service Foursquare, which lets users alert friends to where they are through their cellphones. The reason was not known, but many users had been "checking in" from Tiananmen Square to mark the anniversary of a bloody 1989 government crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests.

    Discussion of the event still is taboo in China and the Communist government is highly sensitive to any commemoration activities.

    Beijing encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or pornographic and operates an extensive system of Web monitoring and censorship. The government has launched repeated crackdowns against online pornography, calling it unhealthy and harmful.