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Is China's "Great Firewall" a Fraud?

Posted by kdawson on from the leaky-filter dept.

An anonymous reader notes an article up on ScienceBlogs that calls into question the efficacy of the touted "Great Firewall of China" — a program by the government of the People's Republic of China to block users from reaching content it finds objectionable. Researchers at UC Davis and the University of New Mexico have performed experiments on the Great Firewall, sending test content to destinations inside China and observing what gets through. They conclude that the Great Firewall is more of a "panopticon" that encourages self-censorship through the perception that users may be being watched, rather than a true firewall.

4 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Haha had us all fooled! by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    That Chinese government! They like to kid. Remember Tiananmen Square? What a hoot!

    --
    I hate printers.
    1. Re:Haha had us all fooled! by baldass_newbie · · Score: 3, Funny

      The only other difference is that China puts dissidents to death.
      Here, we give them news and comedy shows.
      Oh, the irony.

      --
      The opposite of progress is congress
  2. totally ineffective by flyingsquid · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's completely ineffective and a waste of resources. All the Mongolian internet users just look for a weak point and then pour through in hordes.

  3. How Foucauldlian... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    In communist China, YOU watch YOU!