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In the UK, policies that restrict the flow of information across the Internet are generally met with outcry and consternation for contradicting our fundamental right of free speech, but for many individuals widespread Internet censorship is the norm.

However, online censorship is much more pervasive than one might initially think, with Ethiopia, Russia and even the UK currently listed as Enemies of the Internet by the French non-governmental group Reporters without Borders (RWB).

The most high-profile example remains of course China, which has monitored and regulated online use almost since the Internet's introduction in the country back in 1994. The Golden Shield Project, often referred to as the Great Firewall of China, was officially begun in 1998 and attempts to restrict the distribution of what it calls "sensitive" information.

Websites referring to Tibetan or Taiwan independence, the Tiananmen Square protests or freedom of speech, amongst other topics are all outlawed. Well-known Western sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are also banned. Despite the rise of domestic social media platforms like Sina Weibo and attempts to circumvent censorship via VPNs and proxy servers, China remains one of the most stringently censored countries in the world.

Another country influence by a Communist regime, North Korea's general level of secrecy may make its censorship programme less well-known, but in many ways it is even more authoritarian. All media is controlled by the government and estimations suggest that just four per cent of the population have Internet access.

Aside from high-ranking government officials, most citizens must use the national intranet Kwangmyong. Unsurprisingly, Kwangmyong is a heavily watered-down version of the World Wide Web, containing between 1,000 and 5,500 websites compared to a figure of more a billion than for the global Internet. As a result, the head of the Internet desk at RWB Julian Pain described North Korea as "by far the worst Internet black hole".

Aside from issues of political sensitivity, the Internet's free exchange of ideas can also place it at odds with countries that have a more strictly religious society.

In Saudi Arabia, for example, all Internet traffic first goes through a government run filter which, according to the country's Internet Services Unit, blocks all material of an "offensive or harmful nature to the society, and which violate the tenants of the Islamic religion or societal norms". In reality this often means any sites of a pornographic nature or which are supportive of LGBT rights, any found to be promoting Shia ideology, and any that are critical of the national government.

Interestingly, the government encourages the Saudi people to be complicit in the censorship programme by asking them to actively report immoral pages to the government's website. Other Middle Eastern nations known to implement at least some form of online censorship include Syria, Iran, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Originally posted here:
Internet censorship: The worst offenders

China is boosting internet censorship to keep people from accessing sites like Google.

HONG KONG (CNNMoney)

The action, confirmed by state media, has affected VPN providers including Astrill, Strong VPN and Golden Frog, which have all reported trouble with connectivity in China, particularly on mobile devices.

China has long blocked access to what it deems as sensitive Internet content -- political commentary, foreign news outlets and sites like Google. Access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are also blocked in China.

Taken together, the restrictions constitute the world's largest -- and most effective -- state-sponsored censorship program. The effort, officially called "Golden Shield," is more than a decade old.

Using a VPN allows Chinese and foreigners alike to circumvent the Great Firewall. For around $10 a month, users are able to access blocked websites, Gmail and even Netflix.

Chinese state media described the crackdown as a "healthy development" for the Internet, and one needed to shore up cybersecurity. It follows a move to tighten access to Google's email service that began late last year.

Should the VPN blackout persist -- or expand -- it would be a real headache for companies that rely on the workaround to conduct business.

Related: The Great Firewall of China is nearly complete

Winger Chen, who owns a food and beverage consulting company in China, has always "felt some frustration with [spotty connectivity]," but considers it to be "just part of doing business in China."

The rest is here:
China makes it harder to beat censors