Internet Censorship in People's Republic of China

Online censorship is currently a very popular issue discussed all around the globe. The government of the United States continues to restrict access to Edward Snowden’s WikiLeaks or websites containing pirated media or software. For political reasons it is virtually impossible in South Korea to access any internet data that glorifies northern Korean regime1. Some may argue that is for the benefit of the citizens, but on the other hand the same internet data controlling techniques are used by the communist Cuban regime to deny information contradictory with what Raúl Castro wants his people to believe. Indian authorities prevent their citizens from accessing websites of groups that aim to instigate domestic conflict. Last week there was a riot in Istanbul where people objected to draft bill that would provide Turkish government with even more power regarding internet censorship2. European governments are not so keen to block online data nowadays, possibly because of the massive disapproval of similar internet-controlling bills manifested by the Europeans from Spain to Romania during the ACTA controversy of 20123. However, there are places in the world where the censorship is so severe, long-lasting and stabilized that people do not seem to mind it anymore, for instance in the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese internet censorship is believed to be by far the most sophisticated in the world7. Thanks to the Golden Shield Project, colloquially referred to as the Great Firewall of China, initiated in 1998 and constantly in use since November 20034 the Communist Party of China has the highest authority and a full right to decide what can and what cannot be seen online by the people in the most densely populated country in the world. Apart from The Golden Shield there are various institutions such as Public Information Network Security and Monitoring Bureau and the Chinese Internet Police (reported to employ 2 million people in 20135) that help the government control...