Zhang concedes that human flesh search engines have their place, such as immediately after the Sichuan earthquake when they helped many people find their relatives.

"For sure the court sees human flesh search engines as a problem and recognizes the need to do something about them," said Anne Cheung, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Respondents showed a cautious attitude to so-called human flesh search engines, which have drawn controversy over their threat to privacy.