China's government delayed its controversial requirement that manufacturers include Web-filtering software in all new personal computers shipped starting Wednesday, a move that illustrates the challenges Beijing faces in its extensive efforts to rein in the Internet. Associated Press A woman uses a laptop at a computer store in Beijing. More Businesses Complain to China Premier About Filters 06/27/09 China Accuses Google of Spreading Porn 06/25/09 U.S. Challenges China Web Filter 06/25/09 The government's apparent retreat follows intense criticism of the software plan at home and abroad. The official Xinhua news agency late Tuesday quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which announced the plan in early June, as saying that the government was responding to concerns from PC companies that said they had too little time to prepare for the July 1 deadline. "Based on this factual situation, postponing of pre-installation is allowed," the spokesman was quoted as saying.[Read more...]