(Adam Berry/Getty Images)— Websites of The Washington Post and the Guardian appear to now be blocked in China as the country’s government further tightens its so-called “Great Firewall” censorship apparatus as it navigates a politically sensitive period. Although authorities intermittently tighten and loosen their restrictions, the trend since 2013 has shown more and more foreign websites being irrevocably added to China’s blacklist. So have social media services such as Facebook and Twitter and all Google-owned services, including YouTube. Chinese authorities have said their censorship practices are a matter of the country’s “Internet sovereignty” and not negotiable with foreign governments. While a small number of Chinese users download VPNs to access banned websites and social media services, China has increasingly found ways to enforce the bans — including through physical intimidation.

Source: Washington Post June 09, 2019 02:55 UTC