Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are one of the most common ways that Chinese citizens use to circumvent China’s infamous Great Firewall. Unfortunately for them, the use of such a VPN may land them on the wrong side of the law as it appears that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has declared that use of unauthorized VPN services are illegal.
In a report by the South China Morning Post, the Chinese government has stated that all special cable and VPN services that operate in Mainland China will need to obtain prior government approval before being allowed to operate in the country. With this move, China aims to “strengthen cyberspace information security management.” Additionally, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has stated that “China’s internet connection service market… has signs of disordered development that require urgent regulation and governance.”
China’s decision to crackdown on VPNs coincide with the upcoming party congress. Simply put, China is looking to quell any dissent that may arise from the internet.
Source: South China Morning Post