Here is a good article about China's current Internet censorship
methods (from goreng.my):
China appears to be moving aggressively to plug holes in its "Great
Firewall" censorship system, causing frustration for businesses and
web users, foreign Internet companies and analysts said.
Google's email service Gmail has been heavily disrupted, as have
several popular online services providing encryption software that
many businesses and individuals depend on for web security and to get
around the firewall.
The problems have followed a call for subtle, weekly "strolling"
protests in China inspired by political uprisings in the Middle East
and North Africa, and indicate the government is intent on nipping
dissent in the bud, analysts said.
"They're testing new capabilities to see if there are technical means
of dealing with the possibility of organised opposition," Russell
Leigh Moses, a Beijing-based political analyst, told AFP.
China operates an ever-expanding system of Internet control and
censorship dubbed the "Great Firewall of China", aimed at snuffing out
information or comment that the government considers a threat to its
authority.
Gmail users have complained of access difficulties in recent weeks
that have forced some to switch to other services such as Hotmail and
Yahoo!, and Google points the finger at the Chinese government.
"There is no technical issue on our side – we have checked
extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look
like the problem is with Gmail," Google said in a statement Monday to
AFP.
Providers of virtual private networks (VPNs) – encrypted tunnels
through the Internet that make communications secure and enable users
to bypass censors – also are blaming the government in occasionally
colourful terms.
"Yes... The Klingon Empire scored a couple (of) solid hits on the USS
Enterprise," Bill Bullock, chief executive of WiTopia, a popular VPN
provider, told China-based customers in a recent email, using imagery
from the US television show "Star Trek".
At least three other established VPN providers have reported
disruptions in China recently.
A spokesman for provider 12VPN told AFP they were avoiding new
sign-ups from China "during this unstable period."
"As far as we can tell this is part of the Chinese reaction to the
calls for 'walks' as a form of protest," he said.
The mysterious online appeal for demonstrations in dozens of cities
around China each Sunday has prompted tight security at designated
protest sites. No obvious protests have been reported yet.
China faces rising public dissatisfaction over inflation, official
corruption, and growing income disparities – similar to the mix of
problems contributing to the Arab unrest.
The Beijing government has watched the Middle East turmoil with
unease, largely blocking mention of it on the Chinese Internet.
The online disruptions impact users seeking access to long-blocked
sites such as Facebook or Twitter, and hitting businesses.
"It's one more strike that makes it difficult to get things done in
China," said Ben Cavender, associate principal at Shanghai-based China
Market Research Group.
He said companies already face a tough business environment in China
including foreign complaints of a regulatory environment that
discriminates against them.
"And if they have trouble accessing information, it's one more major
issue to deal with."
China's government has repeatedly said it has the right to police its
Internet. A ministry overseeing Internet issues did not immediately
respond to a request for comment on the latest disruptions.
Some observers said foreign enterprises are particularly affected, as
they rely on access to overseas sites for business.
But Chinese netizens also have expressed dismay, particularly over
Gmail, which is popular with white-collar, educated users.
"This type of intermittent interference on the Internet – where users
have no patience – will seriously impact the level of use (for Gmail).
It's a really despicable method," one netizen said on popular web
portal Sina.com. – AFP/Relaxnews
