Myths About The Great (Fire) Wall Of China

November 21, 2012 in Daily Bulletin

We don’t really understand how China’s Great Firewall works writes Eveline Chao. Some of the things you might not know include:

  • For the most part it’s not the government who does the censoring. Instead private companies who operate on the internet are forced to obtain a license which requires them to censor their own content, based on what might offend the communist party.
  • Not all criticism of the government is censored. In fact the majority of criticism remains uncensored; it’s only calls to organize or take action that is blocked.
  • The internet will not lead to democracy. While the internet provides opportunities to express the desire for democratic, freedoms; it can also be used to more easily monitor and quash dissent.

Read more about the dangers of using a VPN in China, the rarity of blanket bans, and how much the Chinese understand about the firewall that surrounds them over here.

Source: Foreign Policy