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Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom 106 From a Western perspective, the problem is the very vague definitions of what constitutes bad information. There are no independent or neutral third parties with authority to evaluate concrete conflicts between rights and freedoms of individual citizens and the political interests of the State or government. The Chinese government uses various means to implement the concept of a “harmonious Internet.” They include: • Government regulation (there are more than 30 individual content-related Internet regulations both on the national and local level); • Technical means, such as the blocking and filtering of unwanted content; • Policing the net; • Punishing individuals identified as violators of government regulations. The State Council Information Office has the chief mandate to regulate the Internet, but other security agencies in mainland China also have a say. In September 2000, State Council Order No. 292, created the first content restrictions for Internet content providers. China-based web sites may not link to overseas news web sites or carry news from overseas media without specific approval. Only “licensed print publishers” have the authority to publish news on line. Unlicensed web sites that wish to broadcast news may only publish information already published by other news media. These sites must obtain approval from state information offices and from the State Council Information Agency. Art. 14 of this order, gives Chinese officials full access to any kind of sensitive information they wish. Internet providers must keep records for 60 days and are held responsible for “ensuring the legality of any information disseminated through their services.” 27 The Golden Shield Project A key element is the so-called “Golden Shield Project,” which critical Western observers also call the “Great Chinese Firewall.” The project is overseen by the Ministry of Public Security. The Chinese government sees it as a main instrument to guarantee the stability and security of the Internet in China, to combat “bad information” and to work for a “healthy Internet.” According to Wikipedia the following methods are used to block "bad content": • IP blocking. Access to a certain IP address is denied. If the target web site is hosted in a shared hosting server, all web sites on the same server will be blocked. This affects all IPbased protocols such as HTTP, FTP and POP. A typical circumvention method is to find proxies that have access to the target web sites, but proxies may be jammed or blocked, and some web sites, such as Wikipedia (when editing), also block proxies. Some large web sites like Google have allocated additional IP addresses to circumvent the block, but later the block was extended to cover the new IPs. • DNS filtering and redirection. Don't resolve domain names, or return incorrect IP addresses. This affects all IP-based protocols such as HTTP, FTP and POP. A typical circumvention method is to find a domain name server that resolves domain names correctly, but domain name servers are subject to blockage as well, especially IP blocking. Another workaround is to bypass DNS if the IP address is obtainable from other sources and is not blocked. Examples are modifying the Hosts file or typing the IP address instead of the domain name in a web browser.
Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom 107 • URL filtering. Scan the requested Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string for targeted key words, regardless of the domain name specified in the URL. This affects the HTTP protocol. Typical circumvention methods are to use escaped characters in the URL, or to use encrypted protocols such as VPN and TLS/SSL. • Packet filtering. Terminate TCP packet transmissions when a certain number of controversial key words are detected. This affects all TCP-based protocols such as HTTP, FTP and POP, but search engine results pages are more likely to be censored. Typical circumvention methods are to use encrypted connections - such as VPN and TLS/SSL - to escape the HTML content, or by reducing the TCP/IP stack's MTU/MSS to reduce the amount of text contained in a given packet. • Connection reset. If a previous TCP connection is blocked by the filter, future connection attempts from both sides will also be blocked for up to 30 minutes. Depending on the location of the block, other users or web sites may also be blocked if the communication is routed to the location of the block. A circumvention method is to ignore the reset packet sent by the firewall. • Web feed blocking. Increasingly, incoming URLs starting with the words "rss," "feed," or "blog" are blocked. • Reverse surveillance. Computers accessing certain web sites including Google are automatically exposed to reverse scanning from the ISP in an apparent attempt to extract further information from the "offending" system. 28 Control is exercised mainly through the Internet service providers, which must follow government instructions on blocking suspected Internet protocol numbers and domain names, and transfer individual contact data to Chinese law enforcement in special cases where the government sees a breach of law. This is mainly with regard to criminal activities and pornography, efforts to undermine national security and public order, revealing “state secrets,” and publishing “bad news.” Another control measure is strong regulation of Internet cafés, where many Chinese, particularly in rural areas, access the web. Internet café providers must follow strict regulations, or risk closure. There is no anonymity for individual Internet café users, who must register and give their personal contact data before getting access to a computer. The “Regulations on the Administration of Internet Access Service Business Establishments” (Internet cafés) of Sept. 29, 2002, state in Art. 23: “Units operating Internet Access Service Business Establishments shall examine, register, and keep a record of the identification card or other effective document of those customers who go online. The contents of the registration and records shall be maintained for at least 60 days, and shall be provided to the cultural and public security agencies for examination in accordance with the law. Registration contents and records shall not be altered or destroyed during this period.” 29 Can it be Circumvented? There are numerous studies by Western universities, including one by the Berkman Center of Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, on Internet censorship in China. 30 There is no clear and consistent policy. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of New Mexico have found that the Golden Shield Project is not a true firewall since banned material can sometimes pass through several routers or through the entire system without being blocked. 31 It differs also from region to region. Web sites that are not accessible in the western part of China can sometimes be easily accessed in Shanghai.
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