Millions of internet users in China use the latest technology to circumvent the Great Firewall. Chinese internet censorship is going to get a lot tougher with the blocking of the VPNs. The three major ISPs will implement the new Chinese internet censorship policies. The Chinese government has asked the major internet service providers in the country to block access to all virtual private networks by 1st February 2018.
Chinese Internet Censorship Biggest in the World
The Chinese internet censorship is the biggest in the world. There are thousands of websites that China does not allow its citizens to browse including Google, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This Chinese internet censorship also applies to news sites offering alternative opinions.
Potential Ill Effects of Ban on VPNs
There are many areas where the VPN ban will have a severe impact. For example, academicians will not have unbridled access to different sources of information online. Similarly, professions that rely on the internet for their job will have a problem. Software developers and international businesses using the internet to communicate with each other may run into issues. Researchers relying on overseas journals will find it hard to contact educational institutes outside the Peoples Republic of China.
China Asks Citizens Not to Criticize Putin Online
The Chinese internet censorship policies mean bowing to the will of the government. Therefore, the Chinese government is asking its netizens not to criticize Putin online. The internet came to know about the coveted ban when many of the users on Sina Weibo could not mention Vladimir Putin’s name. It is the first time that Chinese government has tried to protect a foreign leader. Previously the Chinese internet censorship protections were only used for party’s leadership.
China Also Bans LGBT Content
The Chinese internet censorship policies extend to any content that the government finds offensive. The Chinese state media considers LGBT as an abnormal gender behavior. It means no one can share content online in China promoting homosexuality. Although criticism from many human rights organizations and sociologists, the country continues with its policy to censor content on the internet.
Overall Impact of Chinese Internet Censorship
The internet censorship experts believe that the new policy will not only affect individual users but companies as well. Business organizations will struggle to fulfill simplest of the tasks. The organizations which used to rely on secure VPN communications will find it hard to send and receive data securely. Similarly, it would become difficult for businesses to carry out digital marketing activities on social media marketing websites abroad.
