Beijing has imposed some of the world’s toughest internet restrictions, banning mainland Chinese users from accessing anything from Google to news sites unless they use a virtual private network (VPN)
China is stepping up efforts to restrict software that allows users to access banned websites at a high-level political meeting this week, a prominent provider of software that bypasses the Great Firewall told AFP.
Beijing has imposed some of the world’s strictest internet restrictions, banning mainland Chinese users from accessing everything from Google to news sites unless they use a virtual private network (VPN).
In addition, VPN software has become increasingly difficult to escape censorship, even compared to other sensitive political occasions, and network outages have increased significantly as hundreds of delegates gather in Beijing this week for the annual Two Sessions.
A representative from Liechtenstein service Astrill, one of the most popular VPN services for foreigners in China, confirmed to AFP: “Currently, censorship has increased due to political meetings in China.”
“Unfortunately, not all VPN protocols currently work properly,” they said.
“We are working intensively to get all services back to normal, but we do not have an ETA at this time.”
In China, it is prohibited to use a VPN or access banned websites without government permission.
However, diplomats and state media representatives have access to banned websites such as X (once Twitter).
Security in Beijing was tighter during the two sessions, with police using sniffer dogs to patrol the streets and senior volunteers wearing red armbands to monitor suspicious activity.
Weibo, China’s largest social media platform, also quickly blocked problematic topics.
Search results for all tags related to Beijing’s decision to postpone the prime minister’s regular press conference were immediately cleared.
In addition, content that mentioned China’s economic difficulties and declared that “middle-class children have no future” was also deleted.
China’s domestic media is controlled by the state, and widespread censorship of social media is often used to suppress negative or critical reporting.
Regulators have previously urged investors to avoid reading foreign news reports about China.
President Xi Jinping said in a speech last year that the ruling Communist Party’s control of the Internet had been “strengthened” and that it was crucial for the country to “govern cyberspace.”