China Moves to Block Internet VPNs from 2018

China is cracking down on virtual private networks, targeting the most popular way to access websites based outside the country and avoid restrictions. The government ordered the nation’s three state-run phone carriers to enforce a ban on VPNs for individuals and require companies operating on the mainland to register their use of leased web-access lines, people familiar with the matter have said. 

The new rules will go into effect by February. While the nation has long controlled the version of the internet that most of its citizens see, the latest action plugs holes and advances its goal of asserting “cyber sovereignty” over the web inside its borders.

The ban on VPNs could also harm academics, software developers and foreign businesses. For years Chinese researchers have complained they lack adequate access to overseas journals and methods to communicate with universities around the world, while developers rely on code hosted on websites based outside China.

Foreign businesses in China often use VPNs to secure their company data or communicate with company headquarters. It is not clear whether the ban will affect corporate VPNs.

Source: Internet

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