Many of China’s internet users are accustomed to circumventing their government’s so-called ‘Great Firewall’. Early this month, however, one avenue of accessing the “real” World Wide Web was denied to them, as one of the country’s most popular Virtual Private Network service providers, Green VPN, was ordered to stop operating from July 1.
Chinese authorities have been playing a game of cat-and-mouse with VPNs for many years. However, web users are increasingly concerned that individual users may be targeted following recent VPN shutdowns and the government’s reassertion of its internet rules.
By redirecting their web traffic through a server abroad, VPN technology allows Chinese internet users to appear as though they are connected to the web from elsewhere and to access the wider web undetected. They have been a breakthrough tool in allowing citizens to skirt the restrictions imposed by the government on internet access. Blocked sites include Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in addition to many western media organizations.
Vasyl Diakonov, Chief Technology Officer for KeepSolid, a New York-based VPN developer whose flagship VPN Unlimited, has over 6.3 million users worldwide, believes China is fighting a losing battle. “There are really no technical ways to remove all the VPNs and build walls for one country,” he says. “The only way is like North Korea, which whitelists only a few domains [for its people to access].” Full story...
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Chinese authorities have been playing a game of cat-and-mouse with VPNs for many years. However, web users are increasingly concerned that individual users may be targeted following recent VPN shutdowns and the government’s reassertion of its internet rules.
By redirecting their web traffic through a server abroad, VPN technology allows Chinese internet users to appear as though they are connected to the web from elsewhere and to access the wider web undetected. They have been a breakthrough tool in allowing citizens to skirt the restrictions imposed by the government on internet access. Blocked sites include Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in addition to many western media organizations.
Vasyl Diakonov, Chief Technology Officer for KeepSolid, a New York-based VPN developer whose flagship VPN Unlimited, has over 6.3 million users worldwide, believes China is fighting a losing battle. “There are really no technical ways to remove all the VPNs and build walls for one country,” he says. “The only way is like North Korea, which whitelists only a few domains [for its people to access].” Full story...
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- China now worst in the world for internet freedom...
- How Asia's governments spy on their citizens...
- Internet freedom on decline worldwide as governments tighten grip...
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