The main targets of a judicial interpretation to fight online rumors are those fabricating and releasing false information and not Web users who forward it, legal experts say.

The tough measures unveiled by China's top court and prosecutor earlier this month do not suppress citizens' freedom of speech but can help protect their rights by taking advantage of the Internet to supervise, they added.

To define the criteria for convicting and sentencing offenders who spread rumors online, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate issued a guideline on Sept 9.