14 Final Project Final Version

1. The issue that I have really been interested in this semester is internet accessibility in China. Most people in the world know that China has been one of the strictest governments in the world when it comes to internet access among its citizens.  However, I recently came across a very interesting article that was talking about how China’s incredibly strict policies are even impacting people from outside countries ability to see what is being published on the Chinese web.  In this report, I will look at internet censorship in China and how it continues to evolve.
2. Context
   1. Background: Internet restriction in China has been a longstanding issue, with the country’s government taking measures to regulate access since the early 2000s. This began with the implementation of restrictive policies that targeted sites seen as politically sensitive, such as news websites or social media platforms.  As technology advanced and digital communication became increasingly popular, so too did governmental efforts to control web content.  This resulted in an ever-expanding list of restricted sites, and the implementation of sophisticated censorship measures such as keyword blocking and IP tracking.  More recently, China has continued to tighten its grip on internet access by introducing a “Great Firewall” system, which blocks access to foreign websites and services.  All these efforts, while they have been largely successful in terms of restricting internet access, have also raised several ethical questions.  In the past, China has been criticized for censoring content that is considered by many to be harmless, such as YouTube videos and Wikipedia entries.  This raises legitimate concerns about freedom of expression and personal privacy.  Moreover, it remains unclear how much of this censorship is actually necessary, and to what extent it serves the interests of the Chinese government.  All of these questions are worth exploring in order to better understand the implications of internet restriction in China.  Thus far, both domestic and international efforts to address this issue have had limited success, with governments around the world voicing their condemnation but taking few tangible steps to push for reform.  The continued lack of progress on this issue is troubling and suggests that the current state of affairs is here to stay.
   2. History and Cultural Motivations Behind Internet Restriction: China’s history of censorship is long and complex. It began with the Chinese imperial system, which sought to control information in order to maintain its authority.  During this time, books were heavily censored and any content that threatened the status quo was suppressed.  This trend has continued even after the collapse of the imperial system and into modern times.  The current Chinese government has sought to control the internet and its content, in a bid to maintain stability and promote their own nationalist agenda.  This is most notably seen through the so-called ‘Great Firewall of China’, which blocks access to certain websites that are deemed politically sensitive.  Additionally, Chinese citizens have limited freedom of expression online and must adhere to strict rules when it comes to content creation.  This is done in order to limit the spread of ‘harmful information’ and maintain social stability.  As such, Chinese citizens are unable to access many services and platforms that are freely available elsewhere in the world.  It is clear that China’s cultural and historical legacy has had a major impact on its current restrictions on internet access.
   3. Different sources that the Chinese government has banned: The Chinese government has maintained a long history of censorship and book banning. Examples of books and websites banned by the Chinese government include works such as George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Additionally, many Western newspapers, magazines, television programs, and films have also been blocked by the Chinese government.  In addition, the Chinese government has censored topics such as democracy, human rights, and criticism of the ruling Communist Party.  Ultimately, the Chinese government has exerted its power to restrict the flow of information and limit freedom of expression within its borders. By banning books, websites, and other forms of media, the Chinese government is attempting to maintain control over its citizens and prevent them from accessing information that could potentially threaten the ruling Communist Party.  This heavy-handed approach has had a damaging effect on freedom of expression, as well as stifling creativity and innovation.  It also has serious implications for international relations, with many countries finding it difficult to engage in dialogue with China due to its restrictive policies.  Overall, the Chinese government’s censorship and book-banning policies have had a detrimental effect on freedom of expression and international relations.  Despite this, China continues to heavily censor information and restrict access to certain books and websites, which highlights how important it is for other countries to attempt to engage with China in meaningful dialogue and push for greater freedom of expression and access to information.
   4. Censorship and Security: Censorship laws in China have substantial implications for both domestic and national security. On the domestic level, censoring websites, books, films, and other media that express views against the Chinese government restricts the ability of citizens to access information about their own society and political climate.  This can lead to a lack of public knowledge about democratic processes or civil rights, which in turn can lead to an uninformed or apathetic populace.  Moreover, it may cause citizens to feel increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.  On the national level, censorship laws have security implications as well.  By censoring internet access and news outlets, China contributes to a lack of transparency and accountability among its own leaders, as well as to the rest of the world.  This can lead to a lack of trust between China and other nations, making diplomatic relations more difficult to achieve. Furthermore, censorship of international websites and news sources can also limit access to global trends or issues that may be relevant to Chinese politics and security.  Ultimately, this means that China is at risk of missing out on important information that could be crucial to its own security.  The main takeaway is that censorship laws in China have significant implications for both domestic and national security.  By restricting access to certain types of information, China’s citizens are unable to gain a full understanding of their own society or the world around them.  Furthermore, inadequate transparency and accountability can lead to a lack of trust between China and other nations, thus impacting its ability to achieve diplomatic relations.  It is clear that if China hopes to maintain both domestic and national security, it must rethink its approach to censorship.
3. New Changes in Internet Censorship in China
   1. The article that really prompted my further research on this topic was an article by Stephanie Yang for the Los Angeles Times. In this article Yang brings up a few very interesting points about how internet censorship in China continues to rapidly evolve.  During my time researching internet censorship in China this semester, I have primarily been concerned about how the Chinese government is hiding information from the people who actually live in China.  I have not really been concerned about how the Chinese government may be hiding stats and figures from other countries as well.  In Yang’s article she documents how difficult it is now to access information about China’s internet if you are from an outside country.  She says that everyone is so focused on the Great Firewall and how it impacts people within China, but no one is focused on how many foreign researchers have had great difficulty accessing any information related to China and its government.  This is especially an issue nowadays with China’s government covering up facts related to its COVID outbreaks.
   2. Researchers who have been looking into domestic Chinese websites to gain more information about the country in general (not just COVID related) have found that websites have added procedures to stop data scraping. This limits how much information a foreign researcher can retrieve automatically on systems that use public surveillance.  This is concerning because Yang says that researchers have now had trouble accessing the websites of Chinese provinces that don’t even have a lot of controversy.  This goes right along with the trend of the Chinese government making any part of their internet domains less and less accessible for foreigners.
   3. In previous years, using a VPN would be a no-brainer, but China has even taken drastic measures to crack down on VPN usage as well. A well-respected researcher who was interviewed in the article said that she doesn’t think VPNs are a viable option to access the Chinese internet domain anymore.  Instead, researchers have been using alternative platforms like WeChat and Weibo to find the relevant information.  However, the Chinese government has even forced those companies to implement additional screening for anyone trying to access those apps.  All these different actions and situations show that the Chinese government is probably not going to be letting their information be made internationally available anytime soon, and people should expect it to get worse as time goes on.

 References

Guardian News and Media. (2018, June 29). The Great Firewall of China: Xi Jinping’s internet shutdown. The Guardian. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/29/the-great-firewall-of-china-xi-jinpings-internet-shutdown

Yang, S. (2022, June 23). As China shuts out the world, internet access from abroad gets harder too. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-06-23/china-great-firewall-foreign-domestic-virtual-censorship

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, April 23). List of websites blocked in Mainland China. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China

how censorship works in China: A brief overview. “Race to the Bottom”: Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship: II. How Censorship Works in China: A Brief Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/china0806/3.htm