Smartphones added to the anti-graft fight

Smartphones are now a tool to fight graft. The Party's top discipline authority launched a "one-button report" app for smartphones last Friday. The new app allows people to submit photos and videos of Party members and civil servants suspected of violating the Party discipline and laws. Not surprisingly it has proved very popular. The top discipline watchdog received nearly 700 reports on the first day, accounting for about two-thirds of the overall number of reports it receives each day via the Internet.

Reporting officials' suspected misconduct to the discipline inspection authority is only the first step. The authority must have enough people to classify the huge amounts of reports, transfer them to relevant departments, conduct investigations, resolve the case, and give feedback to the whistle-blowers. Pressing one button on a smartphone entails much more than that.

Wang Jingya, a columnist at Qianlong.com, June 22

The one-button reporting means Party members and civil servants will have to behave themselves not only in their offices, but also outside the office, while the discipline inspection department must differentiate personal attacks and rumor-mongering from true reports, and ensure the defendants exercise the rights to defend themselves.

Yang Weibing, a columnist at cnhubei.com, June 22

The new function conveys three messages: that the discipline inspection authority is relying on the people to fight against graft, the authority is ready to face the huge amounts of clues that will flow in through the smartphone channel, and the grassroots discipline inspection departments will have to fulfill their responsibilities as the people have convenient and direct channels to report to the central authority.

Leng Xuefeng, a columnist at scol.com.cn, June 22

Smartphones have become a new battlefield to fight against power abuse and graft. The discipline inspection department can make good use of people's passion and ability to put the Party members and civil servants under all-day supervision. This is an important new addition to China's anti-corruption campaign.

Guangdong TV Station, June 22