China blocks VPN services that let internet users get around censorship

[ControlFreak]

China blocks VPN services that let internet users get around censorship

PUBLISHED : Friday, 23 January, 2015, 4:03pm
UPDATED : Friday, 23 January, 2015, 4:31pm

Associated Press in Beijing

Reports say China is blocking VPN services that let mainland users get around online censorship to view popular websites such as Google and Facebook. Photo: Reuters

Technology specialists and companies are reporting that China is blocking VPN services that let users get around online censorship of popular websites such as Google and Facebook.

The virtual private network provider, Golden Frog, wrote on its blog that the controls have hit a wide swathe of VPN services.

Another provider, Astrill, informed its users that the controls have started hitting iPhone access to services such as Gmail this year.

The Chinese government blocks thousands of websites to prevent what it regards as politically sensitive information from reaching Chinese users.

Many foreigners in China, as well as millions of Chinese, depend on VPNs to connect to servers outside the country and access-blocked information.

China-based entrepreneur Richard Robinson said the controls have particularly hurt small- and medium-sized foreign companies.

VPN services use software that allows users to connect to other internet networks.

As data on VPN services is encrypted, other people are unable to see what users are looking at, which is why VPN services can get around efforts to block or censor certain websites.