What is the Great Firewall of China?
The Great Firewall of China, officially known as the Golden Shield Project (金盾工程), is a system of internet censorship and regulations implemented by the Chinese government that limits access to foreign websites, controls online information, and enforces content regulations to ensure compliance with the country’s digital policies. These regulations were first implemented in 1998 by the Ministry of Public Security. It is considered one of the most advanced forms of digital censorship developed to date.
Why was the Great Firewall created?
The Great Firewall of China was created with the purpose of protecting political interests, limiting foreign influence, enhancing cybersecurity, and encouraging domestic tech industry growth by blocking foreign competitors.
How Does the Great Firewall Work?
As a complex system of regulations, the firewall uses a number of methods to limit and block any internet traffic that is deemed to violate China’s digital policy. There are 6 key ways the Great Firewall operates:
- Destination IP Address Blocking: Address ranges that contain websites and other content that the government wishes to block can be blocked outright by denying all traffic.
- URL Filtering: Transparent proxies, proxy servers that act as filters between the user and the website, can search for and block any websites with banned words or blacklisted domain names.
- DNS Poisoning: When you try and visit a website that is blocked, a different IP address will redirect you away from the real page to an error message or another website
- Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): When you access websites or send information, deep packets are sent over the internet. DPI can scan these packets for details, keywords, or URLs that are in violation of China’s digital policy and can block traffic.
- TCP Reset: When you visit a website, a Transmission Control Protocol connection is established between two devices. One device can then send a TCP reset packet to forcefully close the connection. TCP resets can therefore be used to restrict access to websites by breaking the connection between users and servers.
- Active Probing: By actively sending requests to servers, devices, or connections and then analysing their responses, VPNs, proxies, and other tools used to bypass censorship can be detected and blocked.
Which Websites are Blocked in China?
Reports suggest that over 100,000 websites are blocked in China. These websites are mainly composed of search engines, social media platforms, streaming services, messaging apps, and news websites. Websites that are blocked in China include:
- Wikipedia
- Youtube
- ChatGPT
- X
- BBC News
- The New York Times
- Netflix
To check what other websites are blocked in China, you can use the AppInChina testing tool. Aside from websites, app stores and apps are also blocked by the Great Firewall. The Google Play Store has been completely blocked since 2010. Android users in China must rely on Chinese alternatives such as the Huawei AppGallery (华为应用市场) or the Tencent Appstore (应用宝). The Apple Appstore can be accessed in China but is subject to heavy regulations and restrictions.
What Alternative Websites are used in China?
The implementation of the Great Firewall gave way to the rapid development of China’s domestic tech services and led to the creation of China’s own versions of blocked websites and apps.
- Baidu is the search engine that is the alternative to Google
- WeChat is the alternative to WhatsApp
- Youku is the alternative to Netflix
- Bilibili is the alternative to YouTube
The thriving digital ecosystem that has developed as a result of the Great Firewall is still subject to government restrictions. These websites and platforms must give the government access to their information and must comply with censorship regulations.
Can You Bypass the Great Firewall?
Yes, you can bypass the Great Firewall, though it is important to note that there is no reliable way to bypass it. The most common method is through the use of a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. While VPNs are detectable by the firewall and are subject to being blocked, they are still the preferred method.
Shadowsocks is another tool that is used to bypass the Great Firewall. Created by a Chinese developer in 2012, Shadowsocks was designed specifically to bypass China’s firewall. Despite being a more advanced and harder-to-detect version of a VPN, China has since improved its ability to detect and block Shadowsocks traffic.
Is it illegal to use a VPN in China?
Yes, there are laws in place that prohibit use of unauthorised VPNs. Violation can result in fines of up to 15,000 CNY. However, it is very rare that individuals are fined or prosecuted for using an unauthorised VPN. Businesses, research institutes, and universities are permitted to use authorised VPNs that are approved by the government.
How Does the Great Firewall Affect Business in China?
If you’re a foreign business trying to enter the Chinese market, there are many services your business may rely on that are blocked in China. For example, all common Google services are blocked.
Aside from this, your website might be blocked in China, immediately killing your chances of success. You can use the AppInChina website testing tool to check whether or not your website is blocked. If you find your website is blocked, your best option is to acquire an ICP filing, a legal requirement for all websites that wish to operate in China.