The government in China is definitely a no-nonsense set up. In fact, they are currently about to get all the more serious, that is, by clamping down on rumor mongers as well as those who happen to spread gossip online. In a nutshell, if you are one who deals with rumors and gossip on the Internet in China, you might want to be extra careful and place additional padlocks on the door of your house.
Does this mean that websites which deal with upcoming smartphone and tablet models will be at risk, since many of such sites do deal with potential situations, “what if’s” and “could be’s”? Probably not, as rumors here more or less point to the destructive kind, which could result in a rift in society as well as flare up emotions of the masses.
The crackdown has kicked off in a massive scale, and so far, the Chinese government had already detained or warned 85 people for publishing such rumors and gossip online. Apart from that, 16 other websites were “punished” for “weak safety management” as part of the crackdown. Among the rumors spread include a possible upcoming earthquake which proved false, as well as whispers of violence and gunshots that were heard in Beijing.