Internet censorship 'the new Berlin Wall'

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has called for an unfettered internet and urged global condemnation of those who conduct cyber attacks, as China sought to contain tension with the US over the hacking and censorship of Google.

"A new information curtain is descending across much of the world," she said, describing growing curbs on the internet as the modern equivalent of the Berlin Wall. She cited China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt among countries that censored the internet or harassed bloggers. In Beijing, China's Vice Foreign Minister, He Yafei, said: "The Google incident should not be linked to bilateral relations."