Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom - World Press ...
Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom - World Press ...
Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom - World Press ...
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<strong>Beijing</strong> <strong>Olympics</strong> <strong>2008</strong>: <strong>Winning</strong> <strong>Press</strong> <strong>Freedom</strong><br />
107<br />
• URL filtering. Scan the requested Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string for targeted key<br />
words, regardless of the domain name specified in the URL. This affects the HTTP protocol.<br />
Typical circumvention methods are to use escaped characters in the URL, or to use<br />
encrypted protocols such as VPN and TLS/SSL.<br />
• Packet filtering. Terminate TCP packet transmissions when a certain number of<br />
controversial key words are detected. This affects all TCP-based protocols such as HTTP,<br />
FTP and POP, but search engine results pages are more likely to be censored. Typical<br />
circumvention methods are to use encrypted connections - such as VPN and TLS/SSL - to<br />
escape the HTML content, or by reducing the TCP/IP stack's MTU/MSS to reduce the<br />
amount of text contained in a given packet.<br />
• Connection reset. If a previous TCP connection is blocked by the filter, future connection<br />
attempts from both sides will also be blocked for up to 30 minutes. Depending on the<br />
location of the block, other users or web sites may also be blocked if the communication is<br />
routed to the location of the block. A circumvention method is to ignore the reset packet<br />
sent by the firewall.<br />
• Web feed blocking. Increasingly, incoming URLs starting with the words "rss," "feed," or<br />
"blog" are blocked.<br />
• Reverse surveillance. Computers accessing certain web sites including Google are<br />
automatically exposed to reverse scanning from the ISP in an apparent attempt to extract<br />
further information from the "offending" system. 28<br />
Control is exercised mainly through the Internet service providers, which must follow government<br />
instructions on blocking suspected Internet protocol numbers and domain names, and transfer<br />
individual contact data to Chinese law enforcement in special cases where the government sees a<br />
breach of law. This is mainly with regard to criminal activities and pornography, efforts to<br />
undermine national security and public order, revealing “state secrets,” and publishing “bad news.”<br />
Another control measure is strong regulation of Internet cafés, where many Chinese, particularly in<br />
rural areas, access the web. Internet café providers must follow strict regulations, or risk closure.<br />
There is no anonymity for individual Internet café users, who must register and give their personal<br />
contact data before getting access to a computer.<br />
The “Regulations on the Administration of Internet Access Service Business Establishments”<br />
(Internet cafés) of Sept. 29, 2002, state in Art. 23: “Units operating Internet Access Service<br />
Business Establishments shall examine, register, and keep a record of the identification card or<br />
other effective document of those customers who go online. The contents of the registration and<br />
records shall be maintained for at least 60 days, and shall be provided to the cultural and public<br />
security agencies for examination in accordance with the law. Registration contents and records<br />
shall not be altered or destroyed during this period.” 29<br />
Can it be Circumvented?<br />
There are numerous studies by Western universities, including one by the Berkman Center of<br />
Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, on Internet censorship in China. 30 There is no clear and<br />
consistent policy. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of New<br />
Mexico have found that the Golden Shield Project is not a true firewall since banned material can<br />
sometimes pass through several routers or through the entire system without being blocked. 31 It<br />
differs also from region to region. Web sites that are not accessible in the western part of China<br />
can sometimes be easily accessed in Shanghai.