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China is already known for its s evere censorship of internet content , including blocking popular sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Until recently, users could circumvent these measures via the use of proxy servers and VPNs though they may soon be subject to government approval – and become potentially illegal as soon as next week.
Chinese officials this Sunday announced a year long initiative to ‘clean up’ virtual private networks (VPNs) and any other services that allow its residents to circumvent the Great Firewall, the nickname given to China’s policies on restricting internet access. The campaign will run from now to 31 March 2018 and the new regulation put in place will require VPN services operating within the country to seek government approval – approval many might not receive, effectively making a number of them illegal.
