China’s authoritarian government has proven very adept at censoring the internet and other media. So what do they restrict?
Internet users in China have a much different experience than most of the world. The authoritarian government, prohibiting a great deal of content and ensuring only positive portrayals of China’s state institutions, strictly enforces Internet censorship. Anything that questions or criticizes the Communist Party of China is effectively banned. Searches for terms like “democracy,” “Tiananmen Square,” and “revolt” are supposedly blocked altogether.
Many social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, are not allowed in China since, according to government authorities, they simply “spread rumors”. If a news article from a major outlet, such as The New York Times, even remotely criticizes the government, it is blocked. Online pornography is also illegal.
