Title: How does China censor the internet? | The Economist
Headings: How does China censor the internet?
The Economist explains
How does China censor the internet?
Content: China began by blocking a list of foreign websites, including Voice of America, human-rights organisations and some foreign newspapers. But its filters have since become more sophisticated and can now selectively block specific pages within foreign websites, rather than making the entire site inaccessible. They can also block particular terms when they are used in search queries or instant messages. Google is not blocked entirely; instead, users who search for banned keywords are blocked from Google for 90 seconds, though other websites remain available. China's many internet companies are regularly issued with lists of restricted keywords, and often censor blog posts and other content pre-emptively to avoid trouble with the authorities. In all there are thought to be around 100,000 people, employed both by the state and by private companies, policing China's internet around the clock. Since 2005 the state has also paid people, known as the "50 Cent Party", to post pro-government messages and steer online conversations away from sensitive topics. China's criteria for censoring the internet are slightly more subtle than foreigners often assume. In essence it applies the rules that have prevailed since the Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989: