June 7, 2006
Google Caught in China's Internet Blockade
By Ed Sutherland
UPDATED: Internet giant Google, which has defended its decision to comply with China's censorship, has discovered that its main search engine has been blocked in most Chinese provinces, a Paris-based media rights group said in a statement.
Due to the blocking, local Internet users are limited to a censored version of Google, Google.cn, which was launched earlier this year, said Reporters Without Borders.
After blocking Google.com on May 31, Internet users in major Chinese cities report experiencing trouble accessing Google's international site, according to a statement by the advocacy group.
"We are aware that users in China are experiencing problems accessing Google.com," a Google spokesperson told internetnews.com. "We are investigating this matter."
Censorship of Google's international sites has spread to other online properties of the Internet company, including Google News and Google Mail, Reporters Without Borders said.
Additionally, the restrictions are reducing the effectiveness of software used by many Chinese Internet users to bypass government firewalls blocking foreign online information.
The crackdown, which has largely neutralized such foreign-produced software as Dynapass, Ultrasurf, Freegate and Garden Networks, began May 24.
"It is deplorable that Chinese Internet users are forced to wage a technological war against censorship in order to access banned content," according to the group.
Around 100,000 people in China use the software, according to the statement.
Bill Xia, creator of Dynapass and a China exile living in the U.S., said in a statement that the government jamming had reached an "unprecedented level" and was likely requiring a high level of computing resources.
Although developers such as Xia are updating the programs in response to China's actions, the advocacy group called their effectiveness extremely limited.
China's controversial influence on Google has resulted in a months-long saga that has seen the search company waffle some.
In February, Google was among other tech heavies in Washington to address concerns it was cooperating with Chinese censors.