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: do not jeopardise social stability, do not organise and do not threaten the party. Accordingly, c riticism of mid-ranking officials is tolerated, particularly if it is in keeping with the government's anti-corruption drive. But attacks on the senior leadership are swiftly removed (prompting Chinese internet users to refer to senior figures using nicknames or coded language, in an effort to stay ahead of the censors). The most brutal restrictions are applied to any post that calls for offline protests or demonstrations—even for pro-government causes. The censorship system's main goal is to prevent the internet from being used to co-ordinate or organise real-world political activity. In extreme cases, internet access may be cut off altogether, as happened for ten months in 2009, after riots in Xinjiang, a remote north-western region. In short, China is having it both ways: it is allowing its citizens to benefit from the social and commercial aspects of the internet, while placing strict limits on its use for political activism. Other authoritarian governments consider China's approach a model to be emulated. There is no doubt that microblogs such as Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, have given the public a new voice with which to demand more accountability from officials on issues such as corruption, food safety and air pollution.