Illegal mapping hotline fails to ignite interest
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A new hotline that people can use to report illegal mapping services has been decidedly cold since its launch on April 21.
An official from the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, who insisted on anonymity, told China Daily on Monday that nobody has contacted either the hotline or a new e-mail address to report any infractions.
The hotline and e-mail address are both available to people wanting to report illegal online mapping services that contain erroneous information or the locations of such places as military bases and military airports.
A statement released by the bureau on Monday said a smooth reporting channel is guaranteed and any reports from the public will be handled immediately. It said serious problems flagged via the hotline and e-mail address will be shared with the public.
The hotline and e-mail are part of a national campaign to crack down on illegal mapping services that was jointly launched by the bureau and 12 other governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Public Security and the State Secrecy Bureau in March.
With online mapping services booming in China, cases of illegal mapping are also on the rise and some are even said to threaten national security.
Three German citizens who illegally collected geographic information in Yichang, Hubei province, in May 2009 and uploaded the information onto computers were fined by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. Their mapping equipment was also confiscated.
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