China censures its own popular search engine Baidu

Chinese Internet search engine Baidu.com was asked by Beijing's Internet self-discipline organization to make a public apology for spreading Hong Kong star Edison Chen's pornographic photos.

China's top Internet search engine, Baidu.com, has been censured by a government-sponsored watchdog for allegedly helping spread sexually explicit photos that appear to feature several Hong Kong stars.

The photos, which appear to show actor Edison Chen and several female stars performing sex acts or in sexually suggestive poses, are believed to have originated in Hong Kong. They have circulated widely here.

"'Key-words searching' and 'Tieba', a picture-sharing section of Baidu.com became a platform to show and spread the obscene pictures and Baidu failed to block the photos after other Beijing-based websites had taken actions against the pictures' spreading," said in Beijing Association of Online Media's statement.

The association praised other Chinese websites, such as NetEase.com, Sina.com and Sohu.com for urging their users not to spread the photos.

Baidu.com is the most popular internet search engine in the China and even dominates the global leader Google. China's online population has soared to 210 million people, and was said could surpass the United States this year to become host to the world's biggest online community.

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technorati tags: china, baidu, internet