288
China
While Web sites that challenge the political authority of the ruling party are the
primary target of fi ltering on CNLink Networks, the ISP also blocks content that
the government deems may harm the social fabric. Pornographic Web sites are heavily
targeted, as well as online gambling (such as http://888casino.com and http://
partypoker.com ). This is consistent with the 2010 state crackdown on pornographic
149
and online gambling
150 content.
In contrast to previous ONI fi ndings, testing results showed that China blocks
access to major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot. At the
time of testing, other social media Web sites such as http://wordpress.com , http://
wordpress.org , and http://fl ickr.com were accessible, though Wordpress blogs critical
of the state or touching on political sensitive were blocked (such as http://chinaview
.wordpress.com and http://seapa.wordpress.com ). Web sites for circumvention tools
were also found blocked, including http://gardennetworks.com , https://dongtaiwang
.com , http://wujie.net , and http://peacefi re.org .
Conclusion
Although the Chinese government views the Internet as a key engine of economic
growth and an important platform for social and public services, it also sees the need to
control the Internet to protect its domestic interests. With the largest number of Internet
users in the world, the expanding scope of online content presents a major challenge
for the Chinese government, which is intent on maintaining social order and stability
in a context of rapid development and social transformation. Increasing contradictions
arise out of these processes.
151 State authorities resist international criticism by pointing
to China ’ s developing country status and vulnerability to potential disorder.
The Chinese government maintains a strict and extensive approach to controlling
the fl ow of information through a robust legal system that delegates fi ltering and
monitoring responsibilities to domestic online service providers. Its content-control
regulations impose self-censorship on users, which is reinforced by information campaigns and just-in-time fi ltering during sensitive moments. The mix of rapid development and a growing online population will remain persistent challenges to China ’ s
efforts at information control, and the state will continue to react with new measures
for denying and shaping the fl ow of information in the country.
Notes
1. Will Foster, Milton Mueller, and Zixiang Tan, “ China ’ s New Internet Regulations: Two Steps
Forward, One Step Back, ” Communications of the ACM 40, no. 12 (1997), http://portal.acm.org/
citation.cfm?id=265565 .
China
While Web sites that challenge the political authority of the ruling party are the
primary target of fi ltering on CNLink Networks, the ISP also blocks content that
the government deems may harm the social fabric. Pornographic Web sites are heavily
targeted, as well as online gambling (such as http://888casino.com and http://
partypoker.com ). This is consistent with the 2010 state crackdown on pornographic
149
and online gambling
150 content.
In contrast to previous ONI fi ndings, testing results showed that China blocks
access to major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot. At the
time of testing, other social media Web sites such as http://wordpress.com , http://
wordpress.org , and http://fl ickr.com were accessible, though Wordpress blogs critical
of the state or touching on political sensitive were blocked (such as http://chinaview
.wordpress.com and http://seapa.wordpress.com ). Web sites for circumvention tools
were also found blocked, including http://gardennetworks.com , https://dongtaiwang
.com , http://wujie.net , and http://peacefi re.org .
Conclusion
Although the Chinese government views the Internet as a key engine of economic
growth and an important platform for social and public services, it also sees the need to
control the Internet to protect its domestic interests. With the largest number of Internet
users in the world, the expanding scope of online content presents a major challenge
for the Chinese government, which is intent on maintaining social order and stability
in a context of rapid development and social transformation. Increasing contradictions
arise out of these processes.
151 State authorities resist international criticism by pointing
to China ’ s developing country status and vulnerability to potential disorder.
The Chinese government maintains a strict and extensive approach to controlling
the fl ow of information through a robust legal system that delegates fi ltering and
monitoring responsibilities to domestic online service providers. Its content-control
regulations impose self-censorship on users, which is reinforced by information campaigns and just-in-time fi ltering during sensitive moments. The mix of rapid development and a growing online population will remain persistent challenges to China ’ s
efforts at information control, and the state will continue to react with new measures
for denying and shaping the fl ow of information in the country.
Notes
1. Will Foster, Milton Mueller, and Zixiang Tan, “ China ’ s New Internet Regulations: Two Steps
Forward, One Step Back, ” Communications of the ACM 40, no. 12 (1997), http://portal.acm.org/
citation.cfm?id=265565 .