China has intensified efforts to block software that enables internet users to access banned websites during a top political meeting, a leading provider of firewall-leaping software said.
Beijing operates some of the world’s most extensive censorship over the internet, with web users in the mainland unable to access everything from Google to news websites without using a virtual private network.
And as thousands of delegates gathered for the annual “two sessions” meeting, VPN software has increasingly struggled to circumvent the censorship while outages have become much more frequent when compared to previous sensitive political events.
“Currently, there is increased censorship due to political meetings in China,” a representative of the Liechtenstein-based service Astrill – a popular VPN service provider for foreigners in China – confirmed.
“Unfortunately, not all VPN protocols are functioning at this time,” they said.
The use of a VPN without government authorization is illegal in China, as is using the software to access blocked websites.
State media workers and diplomats, however, are allowed to access prohibited websites such as X.
Security has tightened throughout the Two Sessions, with officers patrolling streets with sniffer dogs and elderly volunteers in red armbands monitoring pedestrians for suspicious behavior.
Chinese social media giant Weibo has also been quick to block sensitive topics.
Hashtags discussing Beijing’s decision to call off a traditional press conference by the premier were quickly removed from search results.
And another, a reference to China’s economic woes declaring “middle class children have no future,” was also removed.
Domestic media is state-controlled and widespread censorship of social media is often used to suppress negative stories or critical coverage. Regulators have previously urged investors to avoid reading foreign news reports about China.
Previously, President Xi Jinping had said the Communist Party’s control of the internet had been “strengthened,” and that it was crucial that the state “govern cyberspace.”
