Beijing Tightens Control of Internet Cafes BEIJING, March 15

The national capital has adopted a new regulation to tightencontrol of Internet cafes following increasing complaints aboutillegal activities taking place in thepopular spots where netizenscan surf on-line without limit. Local officials said that many ofthe cafes owners permit customers, the majority of whom are primaryand middle school students, to engage in on-line gambling and playpornographic and violent computer games. The new regulationstipulates that all Internet cafe owners, after registering inindustrial and commercial administration departments, must report topublic security departments to apply for a final approval beforestarting their own business. Beijing now has 1.9 million Internetservice subscribers. But only eight of the dozens of Internet cafeshave registered with the authorities.