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China Cracks Down on VPN Vendors (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the further-control dept.

An anonymous reader shares a BBC report: China's latest crackdown on those attempting to skirt state censorship controls has seen it warn e-commerce platforms over the sale of illegal virtual private networks (VPNs). Five websites, including shopping giant Alibaba, have been asked to remove vendors that sell VPNs. It is the latest in a series of measures from the Chinese government to maintain strict control over content. Apple has previously been asked to remove VPN apps. China's cyber-regulator the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has ordered the websites to carry out immediate "self-examination and correction." "The CAC has ordered these five sites to immediately carry out a comprehensive clean-up of harmful information, close corresponding illegal account.. and submit a rectification report by a deadline," the regulator said in a statement.

13 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Crackdown by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That word is such a cop-out. Governments don't "crack down" on freedom of speech or freedom of assocation -- they oppress, because those are things which every human being has a natural right to with or without government.

    1. Re:Crackdown by CaptainDork · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Check your local listings.

      Not valid in all areas.

      Some restrictions apply.

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      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    2. Re:Crackdown by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It means that freedom is the natural state of human existence, and oppression is the artificial state. Freedom doesn't need to be planned or imposed by some authority; it's already there. It's part of who we are. All we have to do is let it flourish. Oppression, on the other hand, needs to be actively planned and imposed by some central authority. Put a hundred people on a deserted island, and the natural state is freedom, and it applies to all by default. Oppression will only come about if carefully planned, organized, and implemented -- without the participation of those who will be oppressed.

      The bottom line is that human rights preceded government, not the other way around. As individuals, we don't prefer to be free because it was voted on or decided by other people -- we prefer it because we evolved to prefer it.

  2. Re:Again, Slashdot? by LoTonah · · Score: 1

    And...I suck at editing. Pretty much, pretty much. ;) Don't post before morning coffee!

  3. Slashdot! by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    It's DUPE-O-LICIOUS!

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    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  4. I wonder what information china is demanding... by burtosis · · Score: 2

    Because if the request also covers emails between the company organizers and the 1.3 million people that casually are even interested in VPNs, any deleted messages and files, as well as subscriber information — such as names and addresses — and unpublished photos and blog posts that are stored in the site’s database, that would be some serious fascist shit I'd expect from a second rate dictatorship like China.

    1. Re:I wonder what information china is demanding... by CaptainDork · · Score: 2

      Who's the first rated dictatorship?

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      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    2. Re:I wonder what information china is demanding... by swillden · · Score: 1

      Who's the first rated dictatorship?

      Clearly, North Korea. No other dictatorship has the kind of iron grip that NK's does.

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      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    3. Re:I wonder what information china is demanding... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      I accept your answer.

      Thanks.

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      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  5. Re:I don't see the problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    they are far more progressive than the US.

    Thanks for admitting what "progressive" means to you, you bootlicking commie piece of shit.

  6. Re: I don't see the problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Hateful periods? Are you kidding me? Do you even know anything about China? They were under dynasty rule up until 1913 or so when the last dynasty ruler stepped down. He was 13. The Great Wall still there. As well as other monuments from the dynasty periods. China loves its heritage and celebrates it.

    That's why it's modded down. You have no idea what you are talking about.

  7. Real World Chinese Experience by dave562 · · Score: 2

    We are currently working with 21ViaNet, the Microsoft Azure partner in mainland China. They will not even allow us to setup a site-to-site VPN from our Azure instance back to our office in the US. I take that back. They will allow it, but they "strongly" recommend against it. They say that they will not be able to guarantee connectivity or SLAs due to the Great Firewall.

    We have to use their "managed VPN service" instead. I am sure that it is Great Firewall compliant, complete with MitM capabilities. We do not even want to transfer data out of the country. We are just using it for administration, monitoring and maintenance.

  8. Damnation by kilodelta · · Score: 1

    I run a VPN just so I can watch content in other countries. Just swap my VPN to that country and it's all good.