THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT has made use virtual private networks (VPNs) illegal in a bid to stop people from evading its web surveillance and censorship.
It follows a demand last week that app stores operating in China must register with the government in a move that was justified on the grounds of IT security.
The «clean up» was announced by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which has declared that all unauthorised VPN services — ie: ones without backdoors that the authorities can use to tap communications — are illegal.
The move means that all cable and VPN services in China will need prior government approval, but could also affect businesses designing and manufacturing goods in China, who fear that the campaign may also aid industrial espionage.
The Ministry argues that all internet services must be subject to official government vetting if they are allowed to continue operating.
The campaign was announced yesterday in a notice released by the Ministry and will run until the end of March 2018.
