Censorship (control) on the Internet Experience of China

China News Service, close to the Ministry of Public Security of China, believes that the Great Chinese Firewall includes 640,000 servers. According to some reports, IBM, Cisco and Yahoo took part in its creation by order of the Chinese government.

Those wishing to get out of the Golden Shield can directly enter IP addresses instead of URLs (for rbc.ru, for example, 194.186.25.25), use virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers or "onion routing" (Tor technology - The Onion Router). True, the Chinese authorities regularly take measures to restrict access to such resources: in 2009, for example, up to 80% of the addresses of public anonymizers of the Tor network fell under blocking.

China not only has the world's most advanced system of control over the national segment of the network - in the PRC, the Internet was originally created under government control and always had a semi-sealed structure. The Golden Shield includes several management and control systems: informing about offenses, identifying users, controlling content, information monitoring and traffic management^[1].

Moreover, not only Internet resources are blocked, but also Internet services, and even search queries.

Under the permanent ban are resources belonging to organizations banned in the PRC, news resources criticizing the Chinese authorities, sites related to the Taiwanese government, the Taiwanese media, sites that Chinese regulators consider obscene or pornographic, websites related to the Dalai Lama or the international movement for the independence of Tibet, etc. In total, about 1.3 million sites were blocked.

At the same time, it must be understood that neither the Golden Shield nor the Great Chinese Firewall would be so effective if national versions of global Internet services were not created in China, which over time turned from copies of American counterparts into unique Internet platforms (Taobao, AliPay, WeChat, Weibo, etc.), and the domestic Internet market would not become the largest in the world.

Many experts consider the Chinese model to be non-scalable. This opinion is based on the fact that no other country in the world has yet been able to create such a self-sufficient internal Internet and such a perfect system of management and blocking without harming its economy.

Social rating in China

Main article: Social rating in China

2024

China plans to introduce a digital ID for all internet users

At the end of July 2024, the Chinese authorities announced their intention to introduce a digital identifier for all Internet users. It is assumed that the initiative will help increase the level of cybersecurity and will help protect citizens from fraudsters.

In accordance with the new rules, Internet platforms will check the identity of users when registering and associate accounts with unique identification numbers issued by government agencies. The numeric ID can consist of letters and numbers; it does not contain open text information that can be used to identify a particular user. Individuals can voluntarily apply for network identifiers through public service services.

Chinese authorities will introduce personal ID to enter the Internet

China's Ministry of Public Security and Cyberspace Administration say the proposed measures are designed to protect privacy and reduce the level of online fraud. In addition, the requirement is said to help prevent "excessive collection and storage of personal information of citizens by Internet platforms."

The Chinese government has for years exercised tight control over information and monitors people's behavior on the Internet. The largest social networks of the PRC, such as the microblogging site Weibo and the social network Douyin, display the location of users when their messages are published. However, as noted, previously such control was fragmented, since the authorities had to track users on different online platforms. The introduction of a national identifier will allow you to centralize this process. However, critics of the initiative fear that with the introduction of the system, all digital traces of citizens will be monitored by regulators.^[2]

Social networks in China began to delete photos and videos with "worship of wealth and luxury

Chinese social media has begun tough new measures to restrict user content. Companies began to remove posts demonstrating personal wealth and financial extravagance. This became known in mid-May 2024.

In particular, the Internet company Weibo reported that during May 2024 they were engaged in special work to manage "unwanted value-oriented content." This includes content that "showcases wealth and extols material values."

Posts showcasing luxury cars and expensive properties were the target, the statement said. Posts that were seen as bragging about wealth and the freedom that comes with wealth were also removed. Similar statements were published by other companies, including Tencent Douyin Xiaohongshu.

Chinese social networks began to remove posts showing personal wealth and financial extravagance

The social media sweep is part of China's campaign to create a 'socio-ecological environment that is civilized, healthy and harmonious,' Weibo said in a statement. The company encouraged users to instead create or share high-quality, truthful and positive value-oriented content on the platform to further create a 'good atmosphere of upward mobility and virtue' in the community.

Douyin said 4,701 posts and 11 accounts were deleted between May 1 and May 7, 2024. Xiaohongshu said it had deleted 4,273 'illegal' posts and shut down 383 accounts in the past two weeks, while Weibo said it had removed more than 1,100 pieces of content.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics China showed that in 2023 the income gap reached Beijing the largest value. The Stanford Center for the Study of Economics and Institutions in China reported that the share of national income generated by the top 10% of the population increased from 27% in 1978 to 41% in 2015. China is nearing a level where the USA figure is around 45% and above the figure France where it is more than 32%.^[3]

2023

In China, bloggers were banned from talking badly about the country's economy

On December 15, 2023, it became known that the Chinese microblogging service Weibo began sending notifications to its users with the largest number of subscribers demanding "to avoid expressing pessimism about the country's economy." Thus, the PRC authorities continue to tighten control over cyberspace in general and social networks in particular.

One Weibo user, who specializes in financial topics and has more than 76 thousand subscribers, said that he was privately "recommended" to publish fewer posts about the Chinese economy. Another blogger with 16 thousand subscribers was asked to "avoid crossing red lines" - primarily regarding economic and financial issues. Weibo management, as of the specified date, does not comment on the situation. At the same time, the Ministry of State Security of the PRC states that negative comments on the economy "jeopardize the national security" of the country.

Various publications constantly appear aimed at undermining the Chinese economy. False messages are used to create a "cognitive trap" and form an opinion that China is in decline. This is an attempt to strategically contain and suppress the PRC, the ministry said in a statement.

Bloomberg notes that the practice that the Weibo service began to apply is gaining momentum in China. In particular, analysts at China International Capital Corp. were banned from sharing negative comments about the economy or markets of the PRC in both public and private discussions. And the financial conglomerate Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in July 2023 provoked a wave of criticism after the publication of a report containing certain negative information about Chinese banks.^[4]

Chinese social networks obliged account holders with more than 500 thousand subscribers to disclose real names

On October 31, 2023, popular Chinese social networks announced to bloggers with more than 500 thousand subscribers about the need to show people real information about themselves. Among the portals that have released statements: messenger, WeChat Weibo microblogging platform, Chinese version of tiktok, Douyin search Baidu and others.

According to Reuters, this decision caused discontent among some users, as it creates threats to privacy and the potential for "doxing" - the public posting of personal information about a person against his will (for example, phone number or home address). The new measures will deprive thousands of influential Chinese bloggers of anonymity. First of all, the platforms will deal with accounts with a million or more subscribers. Refusal to cooperate is fraught with a blow to traffic and income for bloggers.

Although the official statements of the companies were published on October 31, 2023, local media note that the platforms warned large bloggers in advance about impending changes in privacy policy. Many associate the new policy with the proposal of the Cyberspace Administration of China to closely monitor the so-called "selfmedia" or WeMedia, as they are called in China - large bloggers who disseminate information that is inconsistent with the Chinese government.

Some Chinese Internet users fear that these measures are a new manifestation of Chinese censorship. Platforms say that politics is needed in order for influential accounts to be more careful about their words.

According to the Douyin platform, they only need real names from users. Moreover, only verified accounts will be able to see this information. Also, accounts that the platform considers "risky" or "dangerous" will not be able to see the real names of other users.^[5]

Fighting cyberbullying and online addiction. China approves roadmap for protecting children on the Internet

On October 24, 2023, the State Council of the People's Republic of China approved a government order to protect underage users on the Internet. The document, among other things, prohibits intimidation, bullying, insult (cyberbullying) and other malicious actions against children in virtual space.

It is noted that the rapid development of digital technologies has led to the expansion of space for the life, education and communication of minors. At the same time, new threats appeared that negatively affect the mental and emotional state of children. The adopted document is aimed at creating "a healthy Internet environment for minors, protecting their legal rights and interests, as well as providing them with legal support in the relevant area."

In total, the roadmap for the protection of children on the Internet contains 7 chapters and 60 articles. The document speaks of the need to improve online literacy and ethics: both educational institutions and parents should participate in this process. In turn, suppliers of Internet products and services are obliged to comply with the laws, administrative regulations and government regulations in force in China. Organizations must comply with the requirements for the protection of personal data of minors and ensure prompt response to security incidents, for example, in the event of a leak of personal information of children.

The document also provides for the fight against Internet addiction. In particular, educational institutions, when identifying such signs in schoolchildren, are obliged to immediately inform parents or legal representatives of children about this. In turn, adults should focus minors on the safe and reasonable use of the Internet. It is strictly forbidden to provoke any organizations and individuals to form Internet addiction in minors.^[6]

A programmer in China was fined $145 thousand for using a VPN to bypass the "Great Chinese Firewall"

On August 18, 2023, the public security bureau of Chengde in the Chinese province of Hebei imposed a fine on a local programmer in the amount of more than 1 million yuan for using a VPN. This is one of the most severe personal monetary penalties for trying to bypass the "Great Chinese Firewall."

The official notification of the authorities says that a developer named Ma (Ma) used "unauthorized channels" to connect to international networks in connection with his work in a Turkish company. Law enforcement agencies seized Ma's financial assets in the amount of 1.058 million yuan (approximately $145 thousand at the exchange rate as of October 10, 2023), which he earned from September 2019 to November 2022 as a programmer, qualifying these funds as "illegal income."

According to Ma, law enforcement officials first contacted him in 2022, believing that he was the owner of a Twitter account (X - after rebranding), which appeared in some kind of proceedings. In fact, this account does not belong to the programmer. However, after learning that Ma works for a foreign company, the police confiscated his smartphone, laptop and several drives for a month. Later, the programmer was required to provide detailed information about his work, bank details, an employment contract and other information. As a result, Ma was fined a large fine for using a VPN.

In China, VPN services are located in the "gray" legal zone. Technically, companies are allowed to use government-approved VPN funds for commercial activities. In particular, enterprises and universities rely on such tools when interacting with international partners. However, as of 2023, the Chinese authorities are complicating Internet users' access to VPNs and in some cases resort to penalties.^[7]

In China, citizens were banned from installing applications on smartphones that are not registered by the state regulator

On August 8, 2023, the Ministry of Industry information technology China and Industry (MIIT) announced that all developers of mobile applications in the country are obliged to provide the government with information about their activities on time. Programs not registered by the state regulator cannot be installed on. smartphones

It is reported that developers of software for smartphones that do not fulfill the new requirements of the regulator will be punished after the grace period, which ends in March 2024. Market participants believe that these norms can seriously hit small mobile software suppliers, as well as limit the choice of applications for end Chinese users.

You Yunting, a lawyer at the Shanghai DeBund Law Office, says the law actually requires approval from the PRC authorities to bring mobile software to the market. According to him, the rules are primarily aimed at combating online fraud, but they will affect all smartphone applications in China.

At the same time, Rich Bishop, co-founder of app company AppInChina, says that the norms are likely to also affect foreign developers who could publish their applications through the Apple App Store without providing any documentation to Chinese relevant departments. Bishop said that to comply with the new rules, app developers must now either have a company in China or work with a local publisher.

The MIIT notice also states that organizations "engaged in information services on the Internet through applications in areas such as news, publishing, education, cinema, television and religion must also submit relevant documents." Accepted requirements can affect the availability of popular social media apps.^[8]

Chinese authorities began to fight espionage using social networks

On July 31, 2023, the Ministry of state Security China opened an official account on the social network WeChat. The authorities intend to use this web site to strengthen the fight against espionage. More. here

China first arrested for fake news written by ChatGPT

On May 9, 2023, it became known that the first arrest of an Internet user who used the ChatGPT chat bot based on artificial intelligence to write fake news was made in China. Read more here.

Chinese counterparts of ChatGPT are created with tough political censorship

In early May 2023, it became known that the Chinese authorities oblige companies providing access to chat bots based on artificial intelligence to comply with strict censorship requirements.

The fact that analogues ChatGPT PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA in avoid communication on political topics was told by journalist Bloomberg Sarah Zheng. She experienced several AI services operating in the Celestial Empire: it turned out that all of them already contain integrated content filtering tools, although there are certain language differences.

In particular, when talking in Chinese on WeChat with the Robot bot, created on the basis of OpenAI ChatGPT, it turned out that this AI service avoids simple questions, one way or another related to politics. Sara Zheng could not find out the names of the leaders of the United States and China, get information about Taiwan, etc. Moreover, the robot did not even allow the introduction of the name Xi Jinping (the current general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China). Further prolonged communication in English made it possible to learn that Robot was programmed to avoid discussing "politically sensitive content about the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party."

Another chatbot called SuperAI, created by Shenzhen-based startup Fengda Cloud Computing Technology Co., began the conversation with a disclaimer: "Please note that I will avoid answering political questions related to Chinese Xinjiang, Taiwan or Hong Kong."

The service of Shanghai-based MetaSOTA Technology Inc., called Lily in English, did not respond to requests that included certain keywords or phrases such as "human rights issues," "Chinese wolf warrior diplomacy" or "Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen" (Tsai Ing-wen). And when asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Lily bot replied that he is a "very outstanding leader."^[9]

China creates a state platform to oversee sales of goods on the Internet

On April 13, 2023, information appeared that China was creating a national platform for overseeing Internet transactions. According to the state administration for market regulation in China, the ultimate goal of the project is to constantly optimize market order and competition in the Internet economy, as well as further stimulate the development of platform Internet companies, especially small and medium-sized ones.

According to the head of the administration for regulating the Chinese market Lo Wen, since the digital economy continues to develop, the market regulator will increase the level of normalized supervision of Internet companies in order to direct them to legitimate development in the digital environment of the PRC. From the beginning of May 2023, accelerated steps will be taken to study the application of new technologies, such as big data, blockchain and AI, in the supervision of Internet platforms. More efforts will be made to improve rules and regulations relating to China's digital economy, as well as support systems such as manuals and standards, to send a clear message to the market to stabilize expectations and build user confidence.

According to local media, since 2014, China's digital economy has played an important role in the development of new business models and economic growth. In addition to administrative penalties, China's antitrust oversight measures also include interview reminders, administrative consultations and guidance on PRC market rules.

On April 13, 2023, the state administration for the regulation of the Chinese market announced that in 2023 additional measures will be taken to support the development of individual entrepreneurs, which now number 116 million. The regulator added that the administration will carry out targeted cultivation and targeted assistance to three different types of individual entrepreneurs, namely entrepreneurs in the stages of survival, growth and development, the report said.

A report released by a Chinese government think tank showed that China's digital economy reached $7.2 trillion in 2022, up 10% from 2021.^[10]

IT giants in China banned from hosting ChatGPT on their platforms

On February 22, 2023, it became known that regulators China banned large technology companies from offering services based on the ChatGPT AI chatbot to the general public. More. here

2022

Chinese regulator publishes rules to protect citizens from deepfakes

On December 12, 2022, it became known that the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is introducing new rules for content providers that change the face and voice data of users. Read more here.

Chinese authorities say they have solved the problem of children's gambling addiction

On November 22, 2022, data provider CNG and the Chinese Gaming Industry Research Institute announced that the PRC authorities had managed to solve the problem of gambling addiction among children and adolescents. Read more here.

China introduces premoderation of all comments on news on social networks

From December 15, 2022 the Chinese social networks , video platforms must moderate news-related comments before publishing Internet in. This became known on November 18, 2022. The requirements cover all types of comments, including original messages, answers, and real-world comments time that appear on top of the video. For non-compliance with the rules, a number of punishments are assumed: warnings,, penalties suspension of commenting or the entire service. The regulation is an updated version of the document from 2017 and published by the Office of Cyberspace Affairs. It China was adopted against the backdrop of growing public dissatisfaction with strict measures to combat. COVID-19 Earlier, social networks in began China to display the location of users in comments on the address with IP an accuracy of the province. You cannot disable this feature. Such a measure was introduced to maintain order in the network and combat the spread of rumors. China^[11]

In China, influential video bloggers without specialized education were banned from speaking out on topics of medicine and finance

On June 23, 2022, China issued legislation regarding the live broadcast industry, which lists 31 topics prohibited from discussion, on which influential video bloggers will not be able to discuss or express their opinion.

The 18-point guidance, published by the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), requires influencers to be appropriately qualified to discuss some topics, such as law, and finance medicine education, although the authorities have not specified which specific qualifications are needed.

The 31 banned topics during live broadcasts include the publication of material that weakens or distorts the reputation of the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the socialist system or reforms and openness of the country.

Other banned talking points include using deepfake technology to fake images of party or state leaders, and deliberately "inflating" thorny issues and attracting public attention.

Participants in live broadcasts are also banned from displaying extravagant lifestyles, such as showing luxury items and cash, the document says. The published rules emphasize that participants in live broadcasts must honestly declare their income and fulfill their tax obligations in accordance with the law.

In addition to introducing new rules for influential video bloggers and other participants in live broadcasts, the published document also instructs Internet platforms to refrain from providing public figures who violate the law or have shown "unethical" opportunities to publicly express their opinions, conduct speeches, create a new account or work on other platforms.^[12]

Deepfakes banned in China

At the end of January 2022, a bill banning the use of deepfakes would be adopted in China. This technology consists in the synthesis of artificial intelligence of human images: the algorithm combines several photos in which a person is depicted with different expressions of the face, and makes video from them. At the same time, the system analyzes a large number of images and learns how a particular person can look and move. Read more here.

China creates comprehensive internet governance system and national "cybersecurity barrier"

On January 6, 2022, it was reported that China would accelerate the creation of a comprehensive Internet governance system and develop a strong national barrier in the field of cybersecurity. The regulator of the Cyberspace Administration of China indicated that the country should win the fight for the main technologies in the information sphere, as well as expand and thoroughly strengthen the public perception of the online environment.

Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Informatization of the country strongly recommended that the country's leading Internet companies tighten their risk assessment and export policies for important data. For the largest market players, including Alibaba, Ant, Meituan, JD.com, ByteDance and Pinduoduo, a training seminar was organized under the auspices of the ministry, during which the companies were informed about the details of the data security law. The companies urged to consider data security a priority when conducting activities that need to be defended. In mid-September 2021, the department called on market participants to jointly create an industry data management system and actively participate in the development of information security standards.

At the end of October 2021, the Financial Times also reported that China has increased censorship of social networks, and will also begin an active fight against content that promotes lifestyles and values ​ ​ that contradict the position of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the publication, control over the Internet increased after Chinese President Xi Jinping began to talk about the policy of universal prosperity of the state.

At the beginning of January 2022, more and more place in social networks in the country is occupied by the so-called useful content, as well as educational. The Cyberspace Administration in 2020 alone blocked 20,000 blogger accounts for distributing inappropriate content and polluting the Internet environment. China's top leadership wants to see more positive messages on the World Wide Web that say good words about the state.

The Data Security Act, which was adopted on June 10, 2021 and entered into force on September 1, 2021, focuses on protecting China's national security and national data. Its scope includes all domestic information processing operations. The law aims to develop a state-run data protection system through the establishment of government control and access to data. The goals of the Law are to standardize data processing, ensure data security, promote the development and use of data, protect the legal rights and interests of individuals and organizations in China, as well as protect national sovereignty, security and other interests.^[13]

2021

Development of punishments for individuals and organizations for helping to bypass the "Great Firewall"

In November 2021, it became known that the General Directorate for Cyberspace Control of China is developing detailed new rules that punish individuals and organizations for helping Internet users bypass the Great Firewall and for accessing censored information from abroad.

The proposal provides that no person or organization should provide "programs, tools, routes" or services, including Internet access, server hosting, technical support, promotion, application downloads, payment and settlements, to "penetrate and bypass a cross-border data security gateway."

Any violation may result in a fine and any offending entity may have its business license revoked.

The ruling marks the country's toughest attempt to date to rein in unauthorized VPN services.

China bans brokers from working with bloggers to attract customers

In early November 2021, Chinese supervisors banned brokerage companies from hiring influence agents and organizing live broadcasts to attract new customers. China's securities regulatory commission has notified companies that they will not be able to use the methods to attract new customers, according to the report. Read more here.

In China, some were banned from streaming and making stars out of them

In July 2021, the PRC supervisory authority in the field of Internet control issued fines to the country's leading Internet services and ordered them to solve seven problems related to children's Internet. Read more here.

Scientists find out what blocks the great Chinese firewall

According to a study conducted from April to October 2020 and published in July 2021, China blocks about 311 thousand sites, but only about 1800 of them are among the most popular resources on the Internet. New registered sites are often blocked by default until access to them is approved by the authorities.

A group of scientists from Stony Brook University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of California, Berkeley, as well as the University of Toronto in Canada conducted a study to determine the extent of Chinese internet censorship to study the work of the "great Chinese firewall."

China is known to actively censor various Internet resources, thus restricting access to some of the most popular Internet sites, such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia. According to experts, the Chinese firewall blocks about 311 thousand sites, including the unintentional blocking of about 41 thousand of them.

The study tested about 534 million sites with a daily access to 411 million sites, on average. The results of the study were published on The Record website of the American information company Recorded Future.

According to the results of the study, about 40% of the sites were recently registered and were blocked by the PRC authorities by default until they passed the appropriate verification. For example, many sites related to the topic of COVID-19 were blocked with the beginning of an active increase in their number in 2020. Sites such as covid19classaction.it, covid19song.info, covidcon.org, ccpcoronavirus.com, and covidhaber.net were blocked covid-19truth.info. Some of the blocked sites included accusations that China is the source of the coronavirus pandemic, and criticism of China's behavior in this matter.

Websites related to business, pornography, information technology, gambling, entertainment, news, as well as private sites, blogs and malicious sites were also blocked. It is worth noting that among more than 138 thousand sites checked during the study, only 1800 of them are included in the list of 100 thousand most popular sites on the Internet.^[14]

Researchers have established what content is most often blocked in China

A team of specialists from universities USA Canada and conducted a study of the capabilities of the censorship system China in the Golden Shield, also known as the Great (Chinesefirewall GFW Firewall). This became known on July 12, 2021.

The study lasted for nine months - from April to December 2020. Experts have created a GFWatch system that can access to domains from inside and outside the Chinese Internet space and determine how GFW interferes with the connection at the level DNS to block Chinese users from accessing a domain or external object that has access to internal sites. China

Using GFWatch, the researchers tested 534 million domains, gaining access to about 411 million domains every day in order to write them down and check whether blocking access to them is permanent. After nine months of research, experts found that as of July 2021, GFW blocks about 311 thousand domains, of which 270 thousand locks work as expected, and 41 thousand domains are blocked by mistake.

Blocking legitimate domains happens by accident when the Chinese authorities try to block short domains using filtering settings and do not take into account that short domains can be part of a long domain name. For example, when a reddit.com is blocked, booksreddit.com, geareddit.com, and 1087 other domains are also blocked.

After analyzing the list of 311 thousand blocked domains, the researchers found out what content is usually blocked by the Chinese authorities. Using the FortiGuard domain categorization service, experts found that 40% of blocked resources are recently registered domains that are blocked by default until the authorities categorize them and add them to the list of allowed ones.

Excluding these domains from the study, experts found that most often in China sites related to business are blocked, followed by resources with pornographic materials, and followed by domains related to IT. Sites offering GFW bypass tools, online casinos, personal blogs, entertainment resources, media and domains with malicious content are also blocked.

Most blocked domains are not included in the popular list. So, in a sample of 138.7 thousand domains, only 1.3% (less than 1.8 thousand) of sites are among the 100 thousand most popular^[15].

The Chinese have created a highly effective AI censor

AI-based tool can detect 'harmful' information online with unprecedented accuracy

Two years ago, the company a Google presented new search algorithm BERT for better processing queries in different languages. With the help of a neural network, the algorithm analyzes not individual words, but sentences in their entirety, which significantly improves the relevance of the output. It turned out that on the basis of BERT it is possible to create an extremely effective AI censor, which was used by Chinese developers.

It allows you to find censored texts with an accuracy of 91%, researchers say. At the same time, for example, searching by keywords gives an accuracy of 70%, and for a neural network trained by people - 80%.

The Google BERT algorithm open source with cannot analyze texts longer than 512 words. To circumvent this limitation, developers from Shenyang Ligong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed an algorithm for breaking down large texts into available for analysis using BERT and a technology for subsequent assembly of texts to the original volume. It turned out a solution that can even look for subtext hidden between the lines.

The internet in China is under strict government control. The sites of Google, Facebook, Twitter, foreign news agencies are blocked here, and on those sites that are allowed, a large percentage of information is censored. Topics banned in the Chinese Internet space include pornography, drug abuse, weapons and terrorism. It is also impossible to criticize the Communist Party and its top^[16].

2020

In China, blocked the Scratch programming language, which is used by 60 million children around the world

In August 2020, the Scratch programming language was blocked in China, which is used by 60 million children around the world. The reason for the ban is "a large amount of demeaning, fake and defamatory content about China," including placing Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan on a drop-down list of countries around the world, according to the state-run China Internet Information Center news outlet. Read more here.

Announcement of United Mumor Debunking Platform - state applications to combat rumors

On August 31, 2020, it became known that the State Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) launched an application for smartphones, which is supposed to achieve success in deploying a campaign to combat disinformation on the Internet. The novelty was named United Mumor Debunking Platform. Read more here.

China introduces mandatory confirmation of real names in online games

In mid-August 2020, a law came into force in China, according to which all citizens who want to play online games must log in under their real names. Such a ban was made possible thanks to the state authentication system, which is planned to be rolled out by September.

Chinese authorities argue that mandatory confirmation of a real name is necessary to limit children's uncontrolled access to computer games. In 2019, the State Office of Press and Publications (SAPP), which is responsible for regulating play space, introduced new restrictions relating to children. From September, minor gamers will be able to play for up to an hour and a half on weekdays and no more than three hours on weekends.

To enforce these restrictions, players must give their real names, which can be verified against identification numbers. Tencent and NetEase, the country's two largest gaming companies, have already unveiled their own verification systems. For example, in Honor of Kings, a hugely popular Tencent game known as Arena of Valor abroad, the validation system involves facial recognition.

However, Chinese children have already learned to bypass the prohibitions of the system: they use fake identifiers or go to gaming halls that help bypass the verification system. One child even posed as his own grandfather when he turned to customer service, changing the timbre of his voice. However, it is too early to talk about how the national verification system will work and whether it will resemble already existing independent systems. The existing bans on the game industry in China did not affect: the pandemic led to a gaming boom and an increase in sales by 22% in six months.^[17]

Google, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram suspend issuance of Hong Kong data at the request of local law enforcement agencies

China's national security law came into force on July 1. Major platforms considered it controversial from the point of view of human rights and intend to study in more detail.

This law, which critics describe as an attack on freedom of speech and the press, gives the authorities greater powers to counter anti-government actions. Now their participants can be accused of separatism, terrorism, undermining state power and collusion with foreign forces

China introduced a new Internet protocol to the world, facilitating total censorship

At the end of March 2020, China introduced a new Internet protocol to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which, according to its creators, has many advantages. However, the standard opens up more opportunities for the authorities to completely censor the network.

The protocol is called New IP and is intended to replace the outdated TCP/IP. It was presented by Huawei and telecommunications operators from the Middle Kingdom, the Financial Times reports with reference to the materials of the presentation.

Main article: New IP (Internet Protocol)

The Chinese government has banned citizens from speaking negatively about their country on the Internet

In early March 2020, the Chinese government banned citizens from speaking negatively about their country on the Internet. For this, a corresponding bill was adopted, according to which people can publish only positive content on the Web.

This law divides online content into three groups: "encouraged," "negative" and "illegal." The first category includes dissemination and explanation of party doctrine, "" dissemination of economic and social achievements "and" other positive and useful content. "

"Illegal" content, which includes criminal punishment, includes: spreading rumors, insults, deception and threats to other users of the network, calls for violation of economic or social order, overthrow of the political system and destruction of national unity.

The "encouraged" content includes positive information "explaining party doctrine," telling about "economic and social achievements," as well as other pleasant news.

Finally, the "negative" category represents "sensational headlines," as well as content that can negatively affect the "online information ecosystem."

The innovation began to work even before the official entry into force of the law. So, in just one week of January 2020, about 250 people were punished for criticizing the measures taken by the Chinese government during the fight against. coronavirus

The PRC authorities have repeatedly been criticized by Western media for harsh censorship and violation of freedom of speech. Now, during the coronavirus epidemic that began in China, accusations of trying to hide the true state of affairs and gag doctors telling the truth have been added to these reproaches. According to the publication Business Insider, at least five doctors and journalists of the Celestial Empire, who criticized the activities of the government in social networks, were arrested, disappeared or fell silent.^[18]

2019

China began to introduce emotion recognition technology

On November 1, 2019, it became known that China began to introduce emotion recognition technology. It is used, in particular, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region - a region in the north-west of the country, where mainly Uighurs who profess Islam live. Chinese authorities suspect Xinjiang residents of separatist sentiments, have been constantly monitoring him for many years and are sent to "educational" camps.

Chinese authorities say the technology, like previously introduced methods for recognizing people by face or gait, will help fight crime.

The emotion recognition algorithm can quickly calculate suspects from video recordings, analyzing their mental state, and prevent illegal actions, including terrorism and smuggling. We have already started using it, Li Xiaoyu, a public order expert at the Public Security Bureau in the city of Altai in Xinjiang, told the Financial Times

The algorithm detects signs of aggressiveness and nervousness in the appearance of a person, and also determines his stress level.

{{quote 'author = said Li Xiaoyu' We collaborate with various manufacturers of video surveillance equipment and technology in Xinjiang, including Hikvision, Uniview, Dahua and Tiandy. Only companies that are seriously engaged in artificial intelligence can work in this area. Market leaders are, of course, Alibaba and Tencent, }}

According to him, in Xinjiang, the technology is used primarily when passing customs inspection. But recognition programs began to connect to cameras and in the subway, in police departments and in some schools. An unnamed representative of Megvii, which develops image analysis programs, said that the Chinese authorities are already widely using emotion recognition technology.

Not only Chinese companies are trying to teach artificial intelligence to understand human feelings, but also international tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google. However, scientists believe that this technology cannot yet be trusted. Not because it has not yet been sufficiently developed, but because a person's emotions cannot be reliably recognized by the expression of his face.

In July 2019, a systematic review of studies on facial expressions and its relationship with emotions was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. The authors of the review spent two years working and concluded that people express their feelings in a variety of ways. This means that companies that praise their algorithms to determine emotions are likely to exaggerate their effectiveness.

Data shows that, on average, people frown in less than 30% of situations where they experience anger. Would you really like conclusions about your psychological state to be drawn on this basis? In court, when hiring, at diagnosis, at the airport... if the algorithm is accurate only in 30% of cases, told The Verge one of the authors of the study, professor of psychology at Northeastern University in Boston Lisa[19] trusted

In China, they start scanning the faces of Internet users to confirm their identity

In mid-October 2019, the Chinese government announced the introduction of "face control" for Internet users. From December 1, 2019, Chinese citizens will have to undergo a face scan procedure when applying for mobile or Internet services in order to subsequently facilitate identification.

The Ministry of Industry information technology China and (MIIT), which is the state unit responsible for controlling the use Internet of other technologies, notes that this decision was made as part of measures to "protect the legal rights and interests of citizens in cyberspace" and to prevent fraud. So far, Chinese citizens, when entering the worldwide network, identify themselves with an identity card, but it is too easy to fake, officials say.

With the introduction of this technology, China will become the first country in the world to use face recognition for calls and Internet access. The latest reports show there are about 854 million internet users in China. All of them, when receiving a new mobile phone number, will have to go through identity identification using a scan face print. The new legislation would also ban Chinese citizens from sharing their mobile phone numbers with other people.

The new law was another stage in China's political program aimed at establishing control over citizens. Censorship and universal surveillance have been dramatically activated under President Xi Jinping, who has ruled China since 2013 and managed to pass thousands of new laws to control citizens' behavior. The new rules for using the Internet undermine personal freedoms and may contribute to the leakage of personal information of users, but these risks could not shake the government's decision.^[20]

Chinese internet could turn into intranet in case of cyber attack

In the event of a cyber attack or foreign interference, the Internet in China may continue to function as a national intranet, according to a report by Oracle^[21]According to the study, the country has very few connection points to the global Internet, foreign telecom operators do not work on its territory, and domestic traffic never leaves the PRC^[22]

Thus, China can disconnect from the global network and function separately without connecting to Western services.

"Simply put, in terms of sustainability, China could effectively disconnect from the global public Internet and maintain internal communication (essentially, having an intranet)," says Dave Allen. "Just as the rest of the world can be limited from connecting to China, so can Chinese businesses/users - from external connections."

The main difference between China's Internet infrastructure and other countries is its connection with the rest of the Internet. As a rule, most countries allow local and foreign telecom operators to work together. Peer-to-peer interaction is established between companies using Internet traffic exchange points (IXP), connecting small telecommunications networks to a giant network.

Instead, Chinese telecommunications companies approved by the government (China Telecom (China Telecom), China Unicom, China Mobile Communications) place traffic exchange points in other countries through which they exchange internet traffic. All connections to foreign services pass through the "Great Chinese Firewall" (project "Golden Shield") of the country, and then through foreign exchange points operated by Chinese providers.

This structure has a number of advantages, the report notes. In particular, China may at its discretion carry out Internet censorship and disconnect from the Internet in the event of a cyber attack, while maintaining the level of Internet connection in the country at the expense of local providers and data centers.

Russia and China agree on joint regulation of the Internet

The Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China decided to strengthen exchanges "in the field of legislative regulation of activities in the information space" and jointly promote the principles of Internet governance in accordance with international law and domestic law. The joint statement of both countries was made following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held in Moscow on June 5, 2019.

According to the document published on the official website of the Russian government, the Russian Federation and the PRC undertake to ensure the peaceful and safe functioning of the Internet on the basis of equal participation of all states. In addition, both countries intend to "contribute to the formation of orderly management of the global information space."

The parties also agreed to "expand contacts on international information security issues, strengthen measures to protect the security and sustainability of the functioning of critical information infrastructure" and "counteract the introduction of unreasonable restrictions on access to the market for information and communication technology products under the pretext of ensuring national security, as well as unreasonable restrictions on the export of high-tech products."

As indicated in the document, Russia and China will continue to work on the creation within the UN of rules for responsible behavior of states in the information space and "a universal, legally binding document to counter the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes."

China blocked Wikipedia in all languages

In mid-May 2019, it became known about the blocking of Wikipedia in China. Local residents cannot access the materials of the Internet encyclopedia not only in Chinese, but also in all other languages.

According to the BBC in the Wikimedia Foundation, which supports the Wikipedia infrastructure, the site was blocked in mainland China back in April 2019.

After a thorough analysis of our statistics on internal traffic, we can confirm that Wikipedia is blocked for all language versions, the Wikimedia Foundation said.

The GreatFire.org organization, which monitors Internet censorship in China, clarifies that the site has not been available in the country since April 23.

Wikimedia Foundation spokeswoman Samantha Lien told Reuters that the foundation has not received any explanation from the Chinese authorities for blocking the service.

2018

Chinese police get the right to copy data from Internet companies

On October 9, 2018, information appeared that on November 1, 2018, a law would enter into force in the PRC, giving law enforcement agencies broad powers to conduct inspections in information technology companies, including the right to access and copy data related to cybersecurity.

In particular, the law will allow police authorities at both the local and central levels to conduct a physical inspection of office premises and hardware companies providing Internet services, check the use and functioning of protective measures, as well as gain remote access to corporate networks for their analysis for possible vulnerabilities. Before the document comes into force, the police are obliged to notify the company in advance of the upcoming inspection so as not to disrupt the network.

The law also instructs law enforcement officers and contracting enterprises not to disclose collected personal or corporate data to third parties.

According to the document, the checks will concern various aspects: the storage by companies of user registration data and log records; implementation of protection measures against malware and hacks; to ensure precautions against the dissemination of prohibited information; cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the field of ensuring national security; technical assistance in the investigation of terrorist activities and other crimes, etc.

The law applies to territories, offices and premises of hardware service providers on the Internet - from information service providers to Internet cafes and data centers.^[23]

Chinese are forced to switch to routers approved by the authorities with numerous "holes"

Chinese Qingdao police ordered all shops and restaurants in the city to replace their Wi-Fi routers with other government-approved ones. The authorities motivate their order on Internet security grounds. Those who do not fulfill the requirement will face a fine of 100 thousand yuan (about $16 thousand). About this with reference to the materials of the Chinese social network Weibo reports the publication Abacus^[24]

The routers of the Chinese manufacturer Bihu (BHU) are approved by the state in this case. Such a router costs about 400 yuan ($63) on the market, but the Qingdao authorities offer stores and restaurants to purchase the device from them for 100 yuan ($16). However, this subsidy will not be provided to all establishments, but only to some, depending on their location in Qingdao. The rest will have to buy the router entirely at their own expense.

However, the city authorities figured out how to compensate the costs to the owners of the establishments. Qingdao police promised to pay 8 fans (about 1 cent) to all users who will connect to the router daily.

Bihu is based in Beijing and manufactures routers for the corporate sector. The organization's website mentions its "long-term close cooperation" with local police in China. Which model of Bihu routers was approved for use by Qingdao establishments is still unclear.

Official VPN ban in China

On March 31, 2018, an official ban on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) came into force in China. Companies and consumers in the country will not be able to use such services that are not approved by the government.

True, as Reuters notes, regulators have not provided clear explanations of how this ban was implemented. In particular, it is unclear whether legal entities and individuals will be punished for using unauthorized VPN products or whether such software will simply be blocked.

Companies interviewed by the news agency say that they have not received directives from the authorities to ban VPNs, and the lack of transparency of the new rules is of concern to businesses.

We do not expect instant influence, but there is no clarity, and this is not good. We have products that have been banned or revised under similar laws in the past. We are very confident that there will still be discussions before careless steps are taken, "the head of one of the American IT companies, who wished to remain anonymous, told the publication.

In January 2018, the head of the Chinese Policy Committee of the US Chamber   of Commerce, Lester Ross, told reporters that restricting VPNs in the Celestial Empire would hurt small companies that would be forced to pay for expensive international leased telephone lines (IPLC; will be provided by three Chinese operators) to overcome harsh internet censorship in China. Many foreign corporations have their own VPN servers located outside of China, which cannot be said about small businesses.

According to foreign diplomats cited by Reuters, the PRC authorities are unwilling to discuss rules for cyberspace, and a VPN ban could damage China's reputation and international relations, as well as undermine the country's competitiveness.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China (China's Ministry of Industry   and Information Technology) did not give detailed comments on the requests of the Western media and only noted that the use of state-approved VPN services would not jeopardize the security of private data, because "the authorities cannot see information related to your business."

A member of the Chinese anti-censorship group GreatFire.org, which monitors Internet restrictions, said the new rules are aimed at destroying Chinese providers of low-cost VPN services and increasing control over access to information.

Samm Sacks, who researches Chinese technology policy at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, believes that China is likely to be lenient towards most foreign organizations.

We will probably see selective enforcement. Until now, few foreign companies have encountered problems working with their VPN networks. It just adds another layer of uncertainty amid how foreign companies are already facing various challenges doing business in China, Sacks noted.

A survey of companies conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce showed that even before the ban on unofficial virtual private networks was imposed, many business representatives complained about the slow and unstable Internet in China. Some of them estimated the damage from poor Internet access at more than 20% of annual revenue. With VPN restriction, the situation may get worse.^[25]

2017

Blocking 13 thousand sites in 3 years

At the end of December 2017, it became known that China has blocked more than 13 thousand websites since 2015. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of the country's residents support the government's work to clean up cyberspace, Reuters reports, citing the state news agency Xinhua.

 Wang Shengjun, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, spoke about the shutdown of a large number of Internet resources at a briefing to lawmakers in the field of cyberspace protection.

According to him, in three years, operators deleted almost 10 million Internet accounts on social networks for refusing to register on the network under their real names. In addition, information of an extremist, terrorist and pornographic nature was removed.

The PRC also strengthens the fight against Internet fraud. Over the past two years, 3,700 large cases in this area were solved, 11 thousand suspects were detained. More than 2,200 website owners have been summoned for law enforcement interviews.

Measures regulating activities on the Internet, as the authorities emphasize, are introduced "in the interests of national security and social stability," as well as preventing the spread of content for adults and "subversive messages."

Sites registered in China are checked by the Ministry of Industry  and Information Technology, which allows you to identify the author of illegal content.

On December 24, 2017, Xinhua published the results of a survey that showed that more than 90% of Chinese support the country's government's efforts to control the Internet. 63.5% of respondents reported that over several years, the volume of unwanted content in the online space has decreased significantly.^[26]

5.5 years for creating a VPN

China A resident has been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for illegally setting VPN up a network and selling access to it. The verdict was passed by the court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the PRC. The local prosecutor's office managed to prove that Wu Xiangyang set up a virtual private network in 2013, which allowed him to bypass the existing China Internet censorship (in the West, the name "Great" - Firewall"Great Firewall" was assigned to it) and freely visit any foreign resources^[27]

Having decided to earn extra money on his talent, Wu Xianyang began selling access to VPN accounts first to his acquaintances, and then to strangers. But the basis of the clientele was foreigners living in China, who often need access to Western sites for work. For four years, an enterprising Chinese managed to earn 500 thousand yuan - more than $75 thousand. For this amount, the state fined him, in addition to the prison term. The investigation established that by the time of the capture in June of this year, Wu served about 8 thousand foreign citizens and about 5 thousand companies stationed in China.

9 months in prison for a VPN software seller

In September 2017, it became known about the verdict of 26-year-old Chinese Deng Jiewei, who distributed software to bypass site locks. The Supreme People's Court of the PRC sentenced Jiwei to nine months in prison for "illegal control of computer systems."

The young man was charged under section 285 of the Chinese penal code, which states the following:

Anyone who violates Chinese law and invades computer information systems related to government affairs, the construction of defense facilities and high-tech industries of science and technology is sentenced to more than three years in prison.

Deng Jiwei was arrested in October 2016. Interestingly, he was sentenced back in March 2017, but information about this got to the press only a few months later.

According to court documents, Deng Jiwi, together with his partner Jiang Zhifeng, created a yingsuoyun.com website through which VPN software was sold, which allowed bypassing Internet censorship in China and using prohibited foreign sites such as Facebook and Youtube. The total profit of the authors of the project is estimated at 14 thousand yuan (about $2125).

Jiang Zhifeng managed to escape from law enforcement. He is wanted. After the verdict, the resource yingsuoyun.com began to redirect to the court decision.

The verdict on VPN software sellers is one of the first of its kind. The reaction of Chinese users on social media was negative. Someone wondered why VPN services are considered a way to "invade and illegally control" computer systems, others began to express concern that the use of bypass blocking technologies would now be strictly monitored and punished by the authorities.^[28]

Chinese intelligence agencies will have access to the source code of any program

China's cybersecurity law, formally aimed at protecting Chinese user data, could have devastating consequences for foreign companies and their technology^[29] to the source code^[30]

According to Recorded Future, the analysis will be carried out by the Assessment Center information technology China (CNITSEC), which is supervised by the Ministry of Security of state the PRC.

The information obtained as a result of the analysis conducted by CNITSEC can be used to identify vulnerabilities in the code and use them in intelligence special operations, experts fear. At the same time, they claim rather vague language in the law.

The actions of the Chinese government can be regarded as indirect blackmail of companies subject to the law. They will have to share information about their technology and intellectual property if companies are to continue offering their services in one of the world's biggest markets.

China introduces mandatory identification of Internet users

Mandatory identification of the identity of Internet users commenting on certain publications on the Web is introduced by the State Chancellery for Internet Affairs of the PRC from October 1. According to the government order, all web resources that have the ability to comment are obliged to supplement the functionality of the site - to introduce a procedure for reconciling real passport data with user accounts in order to authenticate their identity. The authorities said in a statement: "This provision will increase the level of scientific and culture among comments on the Internet, promote the healthy development of the Internet community, protect the interests of citizens, legal entities and other organizations, as well as state security and public interests"^[31].

From June 1, a cybersecurity law, adopted in October 2016 and providing for the waiver of anonymity on the Web, also began to operate in China. Thus, the document states that "when registering Internet access, registering on a social network, connecting a landline phone or mobile phone, providing the client with services for publishing information or transmitting it, when signing an agreement (on the provision of services), the client must provide a genuine identity card. If it is not provided, the service operator does not have the right to serve the client. "

Chinese authorities launch investigation into WeChat, Weibo, Baidu Tieba

China has launched an investigation into social web resources such as messenger WeChat companies, Tencent Holdings the Weibo microblogging service () ChineseTwitter Baidu and the Tieba forum. CAC, the state body that is the country's cyberspace administration and controls the content of the Chinese segment, Internet suspects the three platforms of violating the security law on the Web, as well as a number of other laws and regulations. For this reason, web services will be checked for information containing "violence, terrorism, rumors, pornography and other threats to national security and public order." Among the examples of unwanted content are speculations about party functionaries, a "distortion" of military history. China On the official website of the SAS, the timing of the audit is not indicated, but a message is posted in which users are urged to "actively signal" the facts of posting information of this kind^[32] authorities^[33]

WhatsApp blocking

The Chinese authorities began to partially block the WhatsApp messenger. The decision was made by the country's government, writes The New York Times in July 2017, citing an unnamed source. The partial blocking was confirmed by experts. According to the newspaper, many users have lost the ability to send photos and videos, and some cannot even send regular messages^[34].

On September 25, 2017, it became known about the blocking of WhatsApp in China. This is another move by Beijing to increase online surveillance ahead of a Communist Party meeting. According to The New York Times (NYT), since mid-July 2017, some application functions have ceased to be available for many WhatsApp users in the Celestial Empire, including video chats and sending files.

Lokman Tsui, an Internet communications specialist at the University of Hong Kong, told the publication that serious problems in WhatsApp began on Sunday, September 24. The next day, WhatsApp blocked the ability to send messages to Chinese users. At the same time, Lockman Tsui noted that there is a possibility that some users can still use the messenger. See WhatsApp# Lockdown in China for more details.

VPN access in China will be closed from February 1, 2018

In July, the Chinese government ordered all telecom providers in the country to block users from accessing virtual private networks (VPNs). The order must be carried out by February 1, 2018, writes Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources. It concerns, first of all, three state telecom companies - China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom (China Telecom).^[35]

After that, Chinese users will not be able to visit foreign resources blocked in China via VPN. Currently, VPNs are used in the country as a loophole in the "Great Chinese Firewall" - a system for blocking foreign sites, ranging from social networks like Twitter and Facebook to news publications like the New York Times.

At least one Chinese VPN service has already fulfilled the requirement of the authorities, writes Bloomberg. GreenVPN informed its customers a few days ago that it was ceasing service due to receipt of notification from regulatory authorities. What exactly was said in the notification, GreenVPN does not disclose.

It is not yet clear how the new directive will affect multinational ICT companies operating in China. However, the problem can affect not only the ICT sector, but also business in general.

"VPNs are very important for companies that need access to global services outside of China. In the past, any attempt to cut off an internal corporate VPN was enough for the company to consider closing its Chinese office or restricting its operations in China. This is such a big problem, "said Jay Parker, vice president of the US-China Business Council in Beijing

.

Information Security Law comes into force in China on June 1, 2017

The legislation seeks to protect citizens' privacy, and to achieve this, the state will force companies to store user data on servers located in China. In addition, in certain situations, data collection will have to be carried out only with the prior permission of the Chinese government, which will also force companies to implement certain security measures to prevent cyber attacks that negatively affect the privacy of the country's citizens.

The Chinese government has established security measures that will have to be implemented in each company. In case of inconsistency, such a company will be fined, and it may even lose permission to conduct its activities in China. However, the most alarming aspect of the legislation is that Internet companies will be forced to store information related to the activities of their customers.

And this, combined with the provisions of a new law allowing Chinese intelligence agencies to cooperate with companies to "ensure national security," suggests that this legislation, designed to protect privacy, may in fact become a kind of "back door" through which the Chinese government can access confidential information.

Baidu requires users to enter personal data

From June 1, it will be possible to use some services of the Chinese Internet search engine Baidu only for those who indicate their personal data and existing mobile phones in their accounts, which will serve to identify the user's identity. First of all, this requirement will affect users of the Baidu Cloud cloud storage service, as well as Baidu Tieba, a well-known Internet forum in the Chinese segment.

The Baidu administration explains the need to enter identification data with the requirements of the cybersecurity law, which was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on November 7, 2016 and comes into force on June 1 of this year.

Eight "red lines" for officials

Chinese officials were pointed to eight "red lines" that they should not step over in virtual communication. Modern and almost fatal sins in Chinese do not look very brutal: criticism of Communist Party policies, spreading rumors and pornography, taking bribes with electronic money, interfering in the voting process, exchanging secret information, opening an online store and publishing "inappropriate" messages. This was reported by The South China Morning Post newspaper with reference to the account of the Central Commission of the Communist Party of China for Discipline Verification in the WeChathttp messenger ^[36]

For the "incomprehensible," the disciplinary commission of the Communist Party cited as an example several cases of crossing the "red lines." So, one of the police officers was severely reprimanded for reposting an article that questioned the state policy towards Hong Kong "one country, two systems." And an employee of the local administration in one of the provinces lost his post after accidentally published a pornographic photo in a chat for 500 people.

In China, limited the possibility of using VPN

The PRC government earlier this week announced the launch of a campaign to "cleanse" the country of "illegal Internet connections." In practice, this means a ban on the operation of virtual private networks (VPNs), if they are not granted permission from local authorities.^[37]

To bypass the bans, citizens China began to actively use - VPN services. After that, the Ministry of Information and Technology of China announced that all VPN services should receive a license from regulators. This automatically means that now most companies providing services for the provision of virtual private networks have become illegal.

In addition to VPN providers, the authorities want to force content distribution companies, as well as any data centers, to obtain licenses.

This is not the first such campaign. The previous one took place in March 2016; then VPN providers in China did not work for several weeks.^[38]

Western media note that the new requirements for VPN and cable providers look blurred, and most likely this was done purposefully. It is not yet clear how the government is going to put these rules into practice and ensure their implementation.

It is worth saying that just a week earlier, Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a statement that clearly contradicts the actual actions of the country's authorities:

We must redouble efforts to develop global communications so that all countries can achieve interconnected growth and shared prosperity... Striving for protectionism is like locking yourself in a dark room. Let the wind and rain remain outside, but neither light nor air will penetrate inside.

2016

Checking mobile applications

On August 1, 2016, on the territory of the PRC, control over mobile applications was tightened (Administration (CAA cyber security China ), the country's largest government control structure). Internet Developers were obliged to register application users under real names and track information posted using their programs. In addition, owners of mobile app stores should check developers selling programs. And the developers themselves will have to store information about user activity for 2 months. Accounts of persons violating the law are forcibly closed.

Also, according to the innovations, developers are obliged to store data on online user activity for at least 60 days. The new rules will also apply to owners of platforms selling mobile applications - they will be required to check program developers.

The innovations will come into force on August 1, 2017. As noted in the state department, such measures are directed against terrorism, fraud, the distribution of pornography and theft of content on the mobile Internet. In China, as of the end of 2015, almost 90% of 688 million Internet users used mobile Internet.

The Chinese use mainly unofficial app stores, which are controlled by local companies such as Tencent Holdings, Baido, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Alibaba. In total, there are more than 200 such stores, they are designed mainly for Android users, which is the most popular mobile platform in China. At the same time, the Google Play store does not work in the country.

Transfer all data to Chinese-made servers

In the summer of 2016, the Administration for Cyberspace of the PRC published a statement on tightening the rules for using the Internet for providers and users, writes IA Regnum. Companies whose servers contain the personal information of registered users must transfer all data to Chinese-made servers^[39] the^[40].

"These changes are aimed at" maintaining security in the field of Internet technologies, as well as improving the quality of services provided by Chinese operators, "the accompanying note to the document explains.

Blocking the New York Times app

In late December 2016, Apple was forced to remove the New York Times news app from its Chinese store. The app, which exists in both English and Chinese, was removed at the request of authorities, the company said, because it violated local law. What was the violation, Apple did not specify^[41].

The New York Times website has been blocked in China since 2012. The reason for the blocking was impartial publications about the property status of the family of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Also in China, the resources of Reuters and the Wall Street Journal do not work. Still, the Wall Street Journal app, like The Financial Times app, is in the Chinese Apple store.

Possible reasons for blocking

The New York Times has already asked Apple to reconsider its decision so as not to deprive the Chinese of "access to independent news." The paper reports that just before the app was removed, its employees were working on material about "billions of dollars" in hidden privileges and subsidies that the Chinese government provides to the world's largest iPhone factory located in China. The owner of the factory is Foxconn.

Material about the factory was released on December 29 - the day the application was blocked. Prior to that, on December 23, an employee of The New York Times discussed the article with Apple representatives. On the same day, Apple told the publication that its news app would be removed from the Chinese store. Foxconn and representatives of the Chinese authorities, from whom journalists requested information, also knew about the preparation of the article.

Developers quit Facebook to avoid writing censorship software

Several Facebook employees quit the company in the fall of 2016 to protest the development of news censorship software. With the help of a censorship program, the social network hopes to gain access to China's 1.4 billion audience. This was reported to The New York Times by three current and former Facebook employees who wished to keep CNews anonymous^[42] so^[43] to^[44].

Despite the fact that the company has not yet offered software to the Chinese authorities, several developers considered the project a violation of the corporate principle of "making the world open and united." They left the company in the summer of 2016. See the Facebook article for more details .

2003: "Great Chinese Firewall" - Great Firewall of China

The Golden Shield project, unofficially called the Great Firewall, began to operate in 2003. Its creation was justified by Chinese President Xi Jinping (Xi Jinping) by the need to establish the republic's cyber sovereignty. As part of the project, a system of special servers was created between Chinese providers and global networks. The Great Firewall blocks access to a number of foreign resources, and also prevents Chinese sites from referring to foreign sources without prior permission. The system also filters foreign content by keywords that determine the state security bodies.

In fact, the Chinese are denied access to all major Western social networks and email services, the sites of many American publications and, of course, resources with pornography.