censorship [Update] China tells carriers to block access to personal VPNs by February 1, 2018, [Bloomberg is reporting erroneously]

[captain_to_fire]

Hot off the press. So no more Twitter and Gmail for both the Chinese people and foreign tourists by next year.

 

Source: Bloomberg

 

Quote

China’s government has told telecommunications carriers to block individuals’ access to virtual private networks by Feb. 1, people familiar with the matter said, thereby shutting a major window to the global internet.

Beijing has ordered state-run telecommunications firms, which include

 

China Mobile, China Unicom and  China Telecom, to bar people from using VPNs, services that skirt censorship restrictions by routing web traffic abroad, the people said, asking not to be identified talking about private government directives.

 

The clampdown will shutter one of the main ways in which people both local and foreign still manage to access the global, unfiltered web on a daily basis. China has one of the world’s most restrictive internet regimes, tightly policed by a coterie of government regulators intent on suppressing dissent to preserve social stability. In keeping with President Xi Jinping’s “cyber sovereignty” campaign, the government now appears to be cracking down on loopholes around the Great Firewall, a system that blocks information sources from Twitter and Facebook to news websites such as the New York Times and others.

One of the ways as far as I know how the Great firewall of China works is by blocking ports used by VPN providers like OpenVPN protocol that often uses UDP port 1194. Another way to block VPN access is through "deep packet inspection". However, some VPN providers where able to circumvent these blocks by the Chinese government like changing ports [here]. Some VPN providers change ports automatically to TCP port 80 which is the typical unencrypted traffic/HTTP only. Turning off this port means turning off the entire internet in a given area. Another port less likely blocked is TCP port 443 which is used by encrypted traffic/HTTPS. Hence, blocking this port would mean no secure shopping or online banking. [see more from here]

 

Quote

While VPNs are widely used by businesses and individuals to view banned websites, the technology operates in a legal gray area. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology 

pledged in January to step up enforcement against unauthorized VPNs, and warned corporations to confine such services to internal use. At least one popular network operator  said it had run afoul of the authorities: GreenVPN notified users it would halt service from July 1 after “receiving a notice from regulatory departments.” It didn’t elaborate on the notice.

It’s unclear how the new directive may affect multinationals operating within the country, which already have to contend with a

Cybersecurity Law that imposes stringent requirements on the transfer of data and may give Beijing unprecedented access to their technology. Companies operating on Chinese soil will be able to employ leased lines to access the international web but must register their usage of such services for the record, the people familiar with the matter said. “This seems to impact individuals” most immediately, said Jake Parker, Beijing-based vice president of the US-China Business Council. “VPNs are incredibly important for companies trying to access global services outside of China,” he said. “In the past, any effort to cut off internal corporate VPNs has been enough to make a company think about closing or reducing operations in China. It’s that big a deal,” he added.

So if a foreign businessman is using Google services and visits China, he's pretty much screwed since he cannot use a personal VPN to access Gmail and Hangouts. It's a shame that from a country with faster internet than America, URLs from the west are blocked. I just hope this wouldn't turn out like North Korea with only 25 intranet sites. Would the likes of Tunnelbear or PIA be able to get around the new restrictions, I don't know.

 

This post will be updated once personal VPN providers made their comments.

 

[UPDATE]

Apparently, there was no VPN ban at all. 

Quote

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, however, has called the Bloomberg article a false story, reports Shanghaiist. In a statement provided to The Paper, the agency clarified that it has merely issued a directive in January that cracked down on companies using unauthorized VPNs to conduct business.

 

Under its new provisions, all cable and VPN services are now required to obtain prior government approval before being used for business activities that go across China’s borders. The agency has even warned firms to ensure that VPNs are used internally.

 

China’s restriction on its population’s access to the internet is notoriously one of the strictest in the world. Government regulators have been tasked to constantly monitor the people’s access to the web.

 

The Great Firewall has been able to keep local Internet users from accessing foreign social sites such as Twitter, Facebook and even news and information sites while VPNs have been widely used by businesses and individuals to access these banned sites.

Source: Nextshark 

Here's another one:

Quote

Chinese authorities have stated that personal VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) will not be banned (in Chinese), but Facebook and Instagram addicts may not be safe yet.

After news broke out that state-run telecommunications carriers—including China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom—will block individuals from accessing VPNs by February 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) responded yesterday saying that reports from foreign media are untrue.

The Ministry stated that it has not banned personal VPN use and explained that the notice—which was issued in January this year—concerns cross-border business activities and does not include domestic and foreign enterprises as well as the majority of users.

Source: Technode

 

As it turns out, Bloomberg is once again fake news. Even VPN vendor Express VPN confirmed that there is NO ban of personal VPNs in China. Here's a screenshot.

 

From a Chinese news site: China is not putting up a ban on personal VPNs. [article in Mandarin http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1730060] 

Edited July 14, 2017 by hey_yo_
Updated for veracity

[captain_to_fire]

It sort of reminds me of Arab spring when the internet is completely shutdown. Only in China, only selected ports and websites are allowed. I just hope America or any other country won't get ideas from China about revamping the Great Firewall.

 

[captain_to_fire]

Just now, Arokhantos said:

Is google blocked ? cos i am sure you technically can use google translate sort off as a web proxy

I think so https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Websites_blocked_in_mainland_China

[TheKDub]

1 minute ago, Arokhantos said:

Is google blocked ? cos i am sure you technically can use google translate sort off as a web proxy

And i doubt isp's can block everything.

 

Not something all that possible, with the exception of switching to using a whitelist instead of a blacklist, or cutting off internet entirely.

[captain_to_fire]

Just now, Arokhantos said:

 

Looks like bing ain't blocked so perhaps bing translate can be used in a similar way

Bing??? Ew,,,

[Oshino Shinobu]

We're following in China's footsteps here in the UK. Probably won't be too long before we see this in the UK if the current government has their way. Who needs rights?

[captain_to_fire]

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

We're following in China's footsteps here in the UK. Probably won't be too long before we see this in the UK if the current government has their way. Who needs rights?

Is it true? @Citadelen

[SansVarnic]

there will always be workaraounds.

 

To China: a simpler solution would be to cut that 18 inch mega cable dangling off your coast. Wink wink.

[ewat]

2 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

there will always be workaraounds.

 

To China: a simpler solution would be to cut that 18 inch mega cable dangling off your coast. Wink wink.

I hope they don't! That's our cable too! 

(Australian here)

[captain_to_fire]

Just now, SansVarnic said:

there will always be workaraounds.

 

To China: a simpler solution would be to cut that 18 inch mega cable dangling off your coast. Wink wink.

 

This reminds me

Who could take it up a notch up to 6000 miles away? 

[Himommies]

3 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

there will always be workaraounds.

 

To China: a simpler solution would be to cut that 18 inch mega cable dangling off your coast. Wink wink.

But then North Korea woudn't have internet 

[captain_to_fire]

I'm surprised no one is complaining about fixing for night theme users and I didn't even removed the formatting. Nice Bloomberg!

[Oshino Shinobu]

8 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

Is it true? @Citadelen

Theresa May (our Prime Minister) has made it clear she has intentions to regulate and restrict what can be said, posted and seen on the internet, also making it clear that she will change human rights laws to accomplish that and make the UK "the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet". 

 

She wants an outright ban on full encryption, basically a scrapping of the rights to privacy and freedom of speech and regulation on what is and isn't acceptable on the internet (the UK Government seems to have an irrational obsession with what type of porn people are watching). 

 

Basically, our government looks up to China in the way they handle internet access. Though, to become the "global leader" in internet regulation, that would mean surpassing North Korea as well. Say hello to Kim-Jong-May and her field of wheat and oppression. 

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/theresa-may-internet-conservatives-government-a7744176.html

 

EDIT: Of course, there has been no actual information on how they plan to really enforce or accomplish this, or how they're going to either find the massive amount of funds it would take or get companies to pay for it. I kind of hope big companies just pull services entirely from the UK, N.Ireland joins back up with the Republic, then I can move over there and leave the UK to sit in the mess that it has made for itself. 

[SansVarnic]

7 minutes ago, ewat said:

I hope they don't! That's our cable too! 

(Australian here)

6 minutes ago, Himommies said:

But then North Korea woudn't have internet 

 

/s

[Oshino Shinobu]

14 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

 

 

This reminds me

Who could take it up a notch up to 6000 miles away? 

Relies on line of sight, so wouldn't really work unless you have massive towers to put them on.

 

EDIT: Not sure if my maths is correct, but seriously, they'd need to be fucking massive. Well taller than the Burj Khalifa (like, many, many times taller)

 

EDIT 2: You'd need two 86 mile tall towers to put them on. 

[captain_to_fire]

Just now, Oshino Shinobu said:

Theresa May (our Prime Minister) has made it clear she has intentions to regulate and restrict what can be said, posted and seen on the internet, also making it clear that she will change human rights laws to accomplish that and make the UK "the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet". 

Looks like UK PM has intense hatred for free speech. Such a shame for a G7 country. 

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

She wants an outright ban on full encryption, basically a scrapping of the rights to privacy and freedom of speech and regulation on what is and isn't acceptable on the internet (the UK Government seems to have an irrational obsession with what type of porn people are watching). 

You know who else uses encryption? The government. Just they wait until their confidential documents gets leaked. Just look when NSA's nefarious activities like obscuring the Eternal Blue exploit that lead to ransomware pandemics like WannaCry and Petya. 

4 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Basically, our government looks up to China in the way they handle internet access. Though, to become the "global leader" in internet regulation, that would mean surpassing North Korea as well. Say hello to Kim-Jong-May and her field of wheat and oppression. 

 

[SansVarnic]

To the UK PM;

Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.

[Oshino Shinobu]

5 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

To the UK PM;

Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.

But the people do. An approaching dictatorship government (basically what our government seems to be doing, scraping long standing human rights laws to do what they want) taking away critical rights for the illusion of security doesn't mean the citizens of the UK, who for the most part have no meaningful say on the matter, don't deserve freedom or security. 

 

I'm actually scared of our current government. I can't believe that it's just ignorance and stubbornness (MPs refusing to listen to experts for example) driving them to make bad decisions over and over again. It feels like there is some seriously malicious plan that involves driving the UK into the ground and establishing a Orwellian police state in the process. 

[Himommies]

4 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

But the people do. An approaching dictatorship government (basically what our government seems to be doing, scraping long standing human rights laws to do what they want) taking away critical rights for the illusion of security doesn't mean the citizens of the UK, who for the most part have no meaningful say on the matter, don't deserve freedom or security. 

 

I'm actually scared of our current government. I can't believe that it's just ignorance and stubbornness (MPs refusing to listen to experts for example) driving them to make bad decisions over and over again. It feels like there is some seriously malicious plan that involves driving the UK into the ground and establishing a Orwellian police state in the process. 

All hail Ingsoc 

[themctipers]

just use iOS in China (pretty sure iPhones are pretty popular there already )

Carriers can't control shit on iOS

[TimeOmnivore]

I mean, this is the same China that's trying to pass new internet censorship laws as of June 30th.

 

Quote

The China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA) is targeting what they consider "abnormal" sexual activity.The rules which were issued on Friday [June 30th] demand that online video platforms hire at least three “professional censors”.

 

- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/china-gay-online-ban-homosexual-a7818166.html

 

Quote

Under the new rules, content will be edited or even banned if it promotes “luxurious lifestyles,” shows “violent and criminal processes in detail,” demonstrates “obscenity” including masturbation or displays “abnormal sexual behaviors" such as homosexuality.

 

 - http://fortune.com/2017/06/30/china-homosexuality-internet-weibo-censorship/

 

“Unhealthy” views of the family, relationships, and money are also included in the online video programmes ban consisting of 84 categories.

 

China doesn't like their citizens accessing anything they feel strays from their "ideal" society. Adding VPNs to their growing list of bans is just continuing to exacerbate the problem. China's government is horrendous and abysmally stupid but it doesn't seem like that will change at any point in the near future.

[Bcat00]

Oh man i had such a big laugh from this. People in china will find a loophole within a week, just watch lol.

[Mr.Meerkat]

Sed times how they started cracking down on the 2nd or 3rd, resulting in 5 (of my 6) VPN no longer being able to be used...meaning I no longer have a VPN on my laptop...  (didn't think all 3 VPNs would actually get blocked...)

 

47 minutes ago, Arokhantos said:

Is google blocked ? cos i am sure you technically can use google translate sort off as a web proxy

And i doubt isp's can block everything.

Yes, google is blocked and my proof is I'm sitting in Beijing right now  

 

42 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

I kind of hope big companies just pull services entirely from the UK, N.Ireland joins back up with the Republic, then I can move over there and leave the UK to sit in the mess that it has made for itself. 

Or hope that Scotland has another referendum, leaves the UK and rejoins the EU, maybe even forming a 'new' "United Kingdom" with Ireland where stupid referendums (such as leaving the EU) and laws doesn't exist.  

The only issue I see is how we'd end up using the euros...which is frankly even more shite than even the current state of the pound...

 

[ewat]

1 hour ago, themctipers said:

just use iOS in China (pretty sure iPhones are pretty popular there already )

Carriers can't control shit on iOS

I don't think you understand how ios works.

On top of that, the things Apple had to do to localise their phones to get China to allow them for sale there is crazy. The government basically has a backdoor to every phone in China.

Lookup a video on "wechat in China"

[themctipers]

Just now, ewat said:

I don't think you understand how ios works.

On top of that, the things Apple had to do to localise their phones to get China to allow them for sale there is crazy. The government basically has a backdoor to every phone in China.

Lookup a video on "wechat in China"

Sent from my iPhone.

pretty much almost anyone else who has an iPhone that I know irl uses it localized to Chinese also.

 

have a link to that video?