China Reportedly Employs Around 2 Million People To Police the Internet

Free speech left wanting

(CNN) -- China has around two million people policing public opinion online, according to a state media report that sheds light on the country's secretive internet surveillance operations.

Dubbed "public opinion analysts," they work for the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda department, major Chinese news websites and commercial corporations, according to The Beijing News.

Using keyword searches, their job is to sift the millions of messages being posted on popular social media and microblogging sites such as Sina Weibo, regarded as China's equivalent to Twitter. They then compile reports for decision makers, the report said.