Chinese Internet Users Can Report Online Fraudsters Via New Baidu Service

Chinese search engine company Baidu Inc. has launched an Internet platform to accept netizens’ complaints about information promoted by the search engine service at Baidu.com.

Via this new platform, Chinese Internet users can report suspected illegal information or Internet fraudsters among those results promoted by the search engine service at Baidu. The platform will accept reports of fraudulent use of names of authorized websites; fraudulent websites; phishing websites; and websites with viruses and malware. Once the reports are submitted, they will be checked and handled by administrators responsible for the search engine service of Baidu, and the results will be forwarded to the complainants. If the related websites are found involving in Internet fraud, Baidu will then report to the local public security departments in China.

Prior to this, Baidu cooperated with the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Centre in the joint launch of a campaign against violence and medical-related information online. No stranger to manipulating its search results to adhere to strict Chinese censorship guidelines, over the past six months Baidu claims to have cleansed its results of over 1,280 web pages from over 130 websites. Of those, 11 cases have reportedly been sent to local public security departments for subsequent police action.

A representative from Baidu told local media that this platform aims to establish a convenient channel to collect feedback from the 400 million netizens in China. The company hopes to further purify the Chinese Internet market and crack down on illegal Internet activities.