China has signalled its intention to exert even greater control over Internet use by forcing companies to register their Web sites with the authorities. Firms that fail to comply with the new order -- which comes into effect at the end of the month -- will be fined. The new regulations do not apply to Web sites created by individual Net users. One official told Reuters: "This is for safety. In order to inspect the Internet, we must control it," he said. Elsewhere, it's been reported that President Clinton wants to use more than $2 billion of the federal budget to combat cyberterrorism. Flushed with success after combating the millennium bug, he now wants to improve overall computer security. The cash would be used in the fight against hackers and viruses, among other things. Details about the initiative are expected to be made public next week. ®