china cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

On devices such as virtual private networks (VPNs)

China cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today China cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship

A 14-month campaign to "clean up" internet service providers
Beijing - AFP

China has announced a 14-month campaign to "clean up" internet service providers and crack down on devices such as virtual private networks (VPNs) used to evade strict censorship.

The ruling Communist party oversees a vast apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, while blocking some Western websites and the services of internet giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.

It passed a controversial cybersecurity bill last November, tightening restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposing new rules on service providers.

But companies and individuals often use VPNs to access the unfettered internet beyond China's "Great Firewall".

Telecom and internet service providers will no longer be allowed to set up or rent special lines such as VPNs without official approval, the ministry of industry and information technology said Sunday.

Its "clean up" campaign would last through March 2018, it said in a statement on its website.

The announcement comes days after President Xi Jinping extolled globalisation and denounced protectionism in a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he insisted that China was committed to "opening up".

China's internet access services market has grown rapidly, and the "first signs of disorderly development are also appearing, creating an urgent need for regulation", the statement said.

The new rules were needed to "strengthen internet information security management", it added.

IT expert Li Yi told the Global Times newspaper, which often takes a nationalistic tone, the new regulations were "extremely important".

While some multinationals such as Microsoft needed VPNs to communicate with overseas headquarters, other companies and individuals "browse overseas internet pages out of illegal motivations", Li said.

A 2015 report by US think tank Freedom House found that China had the most restrictive Internet policies of 65 countries it studied, ranking below Iran and Syria.

China is home to the world's largest number of internet users, which totalled 731 million as of December, the government-linked China Internet Network Information Center said Sunday.

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

china cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship china cracks down on bids to bypass online censorship



GMT 05:52 2014 Tuesday ,27 May

ORLY to launch Rich Renewal skincare collection

GMT 12:18 2012 Saturday ,28 January

High school STEM students’ invention awarded patent

GMT 10:29 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

7 m Yemenis close to starvation

GMT 23:59 2014 Wednesday ,29 January

Benefits of having a pet

GMT 19:08 2014 Wednesday ,19 February

River Island to launch RI Cycle for SS14

GMT 12:14 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

MR PORTER launches Capsule Collections

GMT 09:32 2011 Friday ,17 June

China to increase coastal forces

GMT 14:47 2014 Monday ,12 May

How to increase metabolism effectively

GMT 12:36 2017 Thursday ,09 February

Brisk demand for Pyeongchang Winter Olympics tickets

GMT 13:12 2017 Friday ,29 September

President Sisi has busy schedule last week

GMT 07:40 2017 Friday ,23 June

Zamalek’s chairperson says

GMT 10:27 2017 Monday ,16 October

Sexy Apple launches and appoints PR
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday