BEIJING -- Getting around the Great Firewall, the system used by China to control internet access, just got harder with a popular virtual private network forced to cease operating on orders from the government. For many internet users, services that enable them to bypass the Great Firewall are the only way to access Facebook, Twitter and the websites of the New York Times. Long a legal grey area, VPNs are commonly used by businesses, universities, and news organizations – including state-run newspapers – in China. A January proclamation from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology set out several priorities for control of online content in China, including restricting VPNs. Over the past two years, VPNs have been disappearing from China’s Android app stores, including those of Wandoujia, Baidu Inc and OnePlus.

Source: Bangkok Post July 03, 2017 05:37 UTC