Chinese Authorities in the southeastern city of Nanchang have forced Internet Cafes to replace their Microsoft XP Operating Systems with Red Flag Linux.
The switch was mandated by the Nanchang Central Management Bureau in what it claims is a crackdown on pirated software ?
Internet Cafe Managers instead say that the new Operating System requires a licensing fee of 5,000 Yuan or about $725.00 USD and that even non-pirated copies of Windows XP were being replaced.
A new legitimate copy of Windows XP cost about 890 Yuan or about $130.00 USD plus 15 Yuan for shipping.
Xiao Qiang, Director of the Chinese Internet Project at U.C. Berkeley said that he "sees the move to Linux as an effort to tighten censorship and step up surveillance online....it mainly means a less secure and private communication environment."
Requirements that Internet Cafes are being required to install a Chinese developed operating system are raising concerns over cyber-snooping by U.S. Authorities, according to The Guardian being reported today.
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