China’s Facebook Status: Blocked
EmailABC's Emily MacDonald reports from Beijing: The Chinese government is not shy about censoring the internet. As tension rose over Tibet before the 2008 Olympics, sites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and even Wikipedia found themselves blocked. After the Olympic frenzy, the government seemed to relax and many sites become accessible again. Youtube and most major blog sites, however, were re-blocked this spring when a video of a Buddhist monk being beaten surfaced.
Now, in light of the riots in Urumqi, Xinjiang, which the media is calling the next Tiananmen, or the Tibet of 2009, the government is refocusing on internet censorship. The Latest casualty? Facebook. When you try to access Facebook in China, an error message appears saying “Network Timeout.” This means that Chinese residents are without Youtube, Twitter, and other sites where content is predominantly user generated. Interestingly, the Chinese equivalent of many of these sites (i.e., Youku, the Chinese version of Youtube or Xiaonei, the version of Facebook) remain available. One possible explanation for the choice to block major foreign sites and not their domestic equivalents is that the Chinese government might be more concerned about international criticism than internal tension.
Even sites that have not been blocked have been closely monitored. Any content made by either government supporters or Uighur sympathizers that is deemed controversial is immediately taken down by officials. Additionally when you plug in words like Uighur or Xingjiang into popular search engines like Google, sometimes the search engine will abruptly stop working, just to resume about 30 seconds later. The government has become increasingly aware of methods to override their firewall. Sites that offer downloadable programs such as Freegate and Ultrasurf have been blocked. Other proxy servers are working to stay ahead of government efforts to shut them down, but many have been unsuccessful.
In Urumqi, communications security is tight. The internet has been cut, except for a press room which has been provided by the Chinese government. Fifty computers are going to be used to support all of the journalists covering the riots.
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This is why America is still the best country in the world to live in; despite all the BS lately.
Posted by: jb_blogger7 | July 8, 2009, 11:10 am 11:10 am
ridiculous
Posted by: kickyourass | July 8, 2009, 11:15 am 11:15 am
this is so dumb! china you suck!
Posted by: peacemaker | July 8, 2009, 11:40 am 11:40 am
Maybe we should block the junk we import from China? Opps, Big Business would fight that tooth and nail!
Posted by: sybase46 | July 8, 2009, 11:45 am 11:45 am
as a chinese ,i am wordless.
Posted by: Mike | July 8, 2009, 11:46 am 11:46 am
A person can’t turn around without the Chinese government blocking the media. That does suck.
Posted by: Rosaleah Moore | July 8, 2009, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm
Since western s arent transparent think China is doing all she can to protect her dignity..Dont forget the story USSR
Posted by: ejike | July 8, 2009, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
CHINA is great!!!!!
Posted by: jason | July 8, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
In customer service, receiving no crticism doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job. In 99% of cases it means you’re not listening to your clients, and there ARE many problems.
This is the Chinese government’s issue. They think ‘no’ criticism means they’re doing a good job, when in fact they have just gagged us.
Posted by: Morry | July 8, 2009, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
I fully understand the Chinese gov act in this special time, sipmly because they are afraid of West Media like you who may report biase and prejudice and fact-distortion which may make the situation worse and may agitate further misunderstandings, just as you have done many times in many cases, e.g. last time Lasha riot.
- A west educated pro-dem HK Chinese in SZ.
Posted by: davidwangsd | July 8, 2009, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
this is why i say we should switch to Tawain, they were our allie in WW2, and we turned our back on them just because RED CHINA could make all the junk to sell in the US. Boycott china junk, 1/2 the time its defective or kills the ones who use it.
Posted by: william | July 8, 2009, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm
Not really sure I understand why some Chinese are so quick to claim Western media bias on a story that simply describes the techniques that China is actually using to block information coming into their own country.
Nobody is claiming Western media is perfect. On the other hand, the Chinese response to criticism which claims that China is perfect is, well, puzzling if not just plain bizarre.
Posted by: befuddled | July 8, 2009, 3:44 pm 3:44 pm
Some of you are just weird. What in the world does this have to do with the cheap stuff China produces? And if Facebook is blocked we should switch to Taiwan?
Seriously, is this just one person going on a comment spree or what…the logic behind these comments make no sense.
Posted by: ja | July 8, 2009, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
The fact that they blocked these sites is obvious admission of guilt. If you have nothing to hide, then you would encourage open discussion. It’s such a draconian measure and impedes the normalcy of life for everyone working and living here. Let’s not forget that all enslaving idealism always attempt to stifle people’s right to complain and protest. The greatest loss is the fact that we can’t communicate with our families and friends over those great tolls. It’s not the role of govt. to interfere in the lives of people. It’s their job to serve us. They’ve got things mixed up. Just another road block in the path to evolution. I guess they’d just rather that people live in the stone-age, silent, passive sheep led to the slaughter. Geeze!!!
Posted by: enslaved | July 8, 2009, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Indeed, It does seem people are quick to make strange and unrelated comments. suddenly the US is the best country in the world to live in? no thanks. We should switch to Taiwan? as if there were and big red switch in some government office somewhere that would magically change all the complex relations that millions of different people, institutions and organisations have with the like in China to entities in Taiwan. how ludicrous! thats just as niave as the Shenzhen guy blindly defending the Chinese gov though some warped view that media freedom somehow means media bias when the fact is that ,notwithstanding some media outlets propensity to sensationalize, the opposite has almost always proven to be the case. controlling freedom of expresion is usually a tool to create a favourable bias. But wake up Mr Hu, it doesnt work anymore, people are over that, deal with things openly like an adult and let me have facebook access back so I can keep in touch with my Family and friends.
Posted by: mafan | July 8, 2009, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
Taiwan should just invade China and free them from the communist.
Posted by: Kelly Hsu | July 9, 2009, 12:31 am 12:31 am
i don’t non chinese people have the right judge such decision……..the block all those site because terrorist are using those blogs or sites to spread misinformations …..for your information the leader who is responsible for this riot send out warning to her OWN relatives not to go out for a couples of day to avoid injuries…….this is obvious a planned terrorist behaviour aim to distort peace in XinJin. As for those who are making naive comments about CHinese government’s decision you should be ashame of yourself. If you were the government what would you do to ensure safety and avoid futher riots? It’s not easy to govern the largest country in the world with the highest population and it’s even harder to make sure everyone’s living a peaceful life. Decisions are to be made instantly and must have an immediate effect to keep the damage to a minimum. As an outsider, especially when you are from the Western it might seems harsh but can you do better? I mean look at Bush, how many soilders died and how many family were broken.
For those who keeps talking abt invasion anad wars and etc. GROW UP, the goal is to let people, normal citizens to live a normal life what good can war do? What benefits will you get from invading others?
I am a Chinese grew up in a Western country. I deeply feel the difference between the two sides. Ofcourse China is the perfect country and there are many places for improvement yet she is improving and getting better. As Chinese people are slow opening up to other cultures and beliefs I believe people from other ethnicity and background should do the same.
Posted by: CAt | July 9, 2009, 1:37 am 1:37 am
AS for media right, China does have media right but can you be sure that every media unbias? I mean everyone here has their own beliefs and your thoughts are already formed based on your beliefs. If you dun even have an open heart, how can you say Western medias are unbias? For part of my study I interview many American and ask them what they think of their government and freedom of speech. Many of them are very reluctant to state any comments. Why is that? ARe there really freedom of speech? Or are they not willing to expose their true feeling because they are too good for that? There are dark sides in every country and each country has their own way to resolve problem. Ofcourse no one wants to say bad things abt their own country but those that mean everything that’s seem from the media is truth? Communist or not has nothing to do with terrorist and violence. The ones to be blamed are the ones who started the riots and those who blindly followed.
Posted by: CAt | July 9, 2009, 1:46 am 1:46 am
The US gov will surely enjoy the privilege which Chinese gov is taking hold of, if it is given by the constitution.
China’s constitutional law is THE most magnificant one in the world, people do have all kinds of rights. They own the rights but they cannot use them.
Posted by: zgw | July 9, 2009, 6:27 am 6:27 am
as an expat living in china it’s so hard to deal with. i really miss facebook as one of my main forms of communication with friends and family back home. to many it’s just fun and a game, but to me it’s so much more…
Posted by: jen | July 9, 2009, 8:00 am 8:00 am
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. by Abraham Lincoln.
Posted by: Stay Free Stay Rebel | July 9, 2009, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
Just hope that the goverment will quickly :wake up” and resume the access to facebook.
Posted by: Dan | July 9, 2009, 9:41 pm 9:41 pm
whatever)))
Posted by: pakaskok | July 9, 2009, 11:39 pm 11:39 pm
How do you think I feel I’m in xintinandi. A section of Shanghai. I can’t believe they blocked it I’m speechless.
Posted by: Alex | July 10, 2009, 10:00 pm 10:00 pm
I didn’t want to bother with most of the political reasoning backing this BS, as a foreigner living in china I have become so attatched to the site because it reconnects me with friends and family. Not a day passed without me paying a visit to the site, it was one of the few thing that help peple like me feel sane in this crazy environment. A virtual home away from home. to be honest there cannot be any logical reason for blocking all these sites. Imagine trying to dam a flooding river, its not impossible but it is unwise as you will lose more than anything you were trying to achieve.
Posted by: African | July 10, 2009, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
i want my facebook page back!
i want freedom!
Posted by: mercedes | July 11, 2009, 3:14 am 3:14 am
ugh,China is insane !
Posted by: abby | July 11, 2009, 7:11 am 7:11 am
i live in (possible) isolated place. how come (even) social networking blocked? short word = OVERREACTING
Posted by: ocha | July 11, 2009, 7:23 am 7:23 am
i agree with you jen, the same here, expat in shanghai , i need facebook to keep in touch with family, it really sucks, does anyone know if there is a chance that they unblocked it?
Posted by: lil | July 14, 2009, 10:12 pm 10:12 pm
i feel really disguted right now listening to you saying that china is horrible for blocking these sites. they don’t hear the bad stuff that’s being said about them. just imagine, if all these sites and such were saying these nasty things about the us, they wouldn’t be happy about it either. it’s just a matter of fact of how they are protecting them selves in this time.
china has a long history in time, and why is that? because they’ve always found ways to perserve through hard times and found good soultions. that’s why most countries are creating good bonds with china. the thing is, people always thing US is soo great, but if you think about it, they’ve caused a lot of BS. so i don’t think people should go around judging china about they way it’s running it’s goverment. they’re doing their best. and i strongly believe it’s a good choice.
Posted by: sparklestar | July 14, 2009, 10:57 pm 10:57 pm
this is the country thats suppose to hold the expo next year? My God..better city better life my.
for expatrs living in shanghai..facebook was one of the only ways to contact family members oversees more often..
but that China for you
Posted by: mjchina | July 14, 2009, 11:14 pm 11:14 pm
i too am disapointed, i live in china and have done for a while now, i use facebook everyday to say hello to friends and keep in touch. China is a wonderful country, and i love it dearly but like all countries its got its problems, and one of them is censorship, yet i put the question out there how do you control 1.6 billion people, and i do mean control, for control is what it is, even in australia where i live its another elected dictatorship, only when people start acting there age, and living a responsible life will our elected control vanish and we shall start sharing a real sense of freedom and prosparity. so yes no facebook sucks, and yes censorship sucks and the list go on ad on. oh well!
Posted by: Tao | July 15, 2009, 2:06 am 2:06 am
i dont care about the politics or what is or isn’t, might or might not be happening, every country does it in some way or another I DONT CARE……. i just want to talk to my friends and have a good nosey at what they have or haven’t or might or might not be doing damm it!!!!!!! unblock NOW or i’m gonna be unconsoulably upset and that is important!!!
Posted by: tim | July 16, 2009, 1:23 am 1:23 am
China is great country, I love China
Posted by: Charley | July 24, 2009, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
My biggest concern beyond the blocking is privacy. It’s bad enough that access is blocked. Knowing every word it read and analyzed breaks the straw. I’ve used a VPN service to encrypt all of my web activity from the government and also to unblock web sites.
Posted by: Mai | July 28, 2009, 3:47 am 3:47 am
No sorry, China is an oppressive, demoralizing, and frankly quite crazy country, they have this notion that through a few blocked websites and executions that they can crush the human spirit, no sorry, the leaders of China will only crush their own through such measures.
Posted by: zippo | August 29, 2009, 4:47 am 4:47 am
Before you people get all patriotic. The American government does the same thing with their media. They just do it in different ways.
Posted by: Shukuri | September 9, 2009, 7:27 am 7:27 am
I’m ashamed, damn the stupid government.
Posted by: Zhenyu | October 22, 2009, 6:22 am 6:22 am
The Chinese government wants global business, they want to be more powerful, and they want more influence, yet they block their own people from free trade of thoughts and ideas.
I know it’s not all-inclusive but the censorship of media is hidden from a majority of the Chinese. I’m surprised the Olympics didn’t have more of an impact in opening their eyes. Hopefully articles like this one can help in a small way.
Mark Hanover
Posted by: Mark | November 16, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am
The gov has blocked everything !!!!
I’m using Freedur now. Can access to all those blocked sites through Freedur. Super fast and stable.
Posted by: sanny | December 8, 2009, 2:11 am 2:11 am
China is UGLY, their factory products are either easy-to-break or toxic!!! How could they censor sites that make no harm.
Posted by: ihatechina | December 16, 2009, 9:28 pm 9:28 pm
Simple reason: China doesn’t accept Western BS!
Posted by: asd | February 11, 2010, 3:04 am 3:04 am
still please open facebook again… i live in beijing but facebook is very important to me, without it, i will loose all connections with friends and family. any ideas how to open it?
Posted by: Flora | March 24, 2010, 6:48 pm 6:48 pm
Facebook is currently available in China (April 8, 2010) and has been for more than a few months. I have a friend over there with whom I communicate with Facebook on a daily basis.
Posted by: Jim | April 8, 2010, 10:32 am 10:32 am
I’m sure that China will lose this fight.
Peoples mind cannot be controlled by governments anymore.
Posted by: John | April 8, 2010, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
April 11,2010 Facebook is down in Beijing and Xi’An – thought my connection was messed up until I noticed yahoo was working and found these threads
Posted by: Justin | April 11, 2010, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Someone has tell me Facebook will be unlocked for the shanghai expo !
Is it true or fake ?
Posted by: unbock facebook | May 13, 2010, 4:08 am 4:08 am
why china blocked facebook? as I lived in china for almost 18 years. I know that they are fear about the outside, as there are so many broblems inside the country. They don’t want outsuders to see the guilty inside the country.
well I really think china is suck. Facebook gives a lot of imformations as we can get more imformations from all over the world, but its blocked. what to say, free facebook! just like free tibet.
Posted by: wang xiao | May 18, 2010, 2:01 am 2:01 am
Having lived in China for 6 years, and being pretty much fluent in the language, culture and history…I totally agree with the Chinese government.
#1: Chinese don’t use Facebook. They use Chinese social networking sites. If you go to just about anyone on the street, young or old, they have no idea what Facebook is. They use, xiaoyu, youku, myspace, msn or qq.
#2: The Chinese government does not need Chinese using a social networking site where they cannot control any privacy settings, or any content. There are too many pretentious foreigners who can’t speak the language, don’t know the history/culture, don’t understand the people, and sure as heck don’t get the politics of 1.3 billion people to write a bunch of western propaganda on an American social networking site.
#3: Don’t think that Facebook isn’t monitoring YOU in N.America. Nothing is for free in this world.
Posted by: Mark Munro | June 13, 2010, 3:30 am 3:30 am
zgw: “They own the rights but they cannot use them.”
If that’s a confused way of saying that they have the rights on paper but not in practice, it sounds accurate to me. Gao Zhisheng, anyone?
Posted by: Chris "Jesdisciple" | July 10, 2010, 2:34 pm 2:34 pm
facebook sucks anyways. they ban you for no reason.
Posted by: jane | August 13, 2010, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm
I live in Beijing, were not so severe
Posted by: VPNING | October 21, 2010, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Apparently not only facebook is blocked, even Twitter and Youtube.
What sort of life are the Chinese going to have now?
Posted by: Anon | October 25, 2010, 11:39 pm 11:39 pm
so what happened now? i just heard from some of my friends that Facebook is no longer blocked in China! is that true? I’m currently not in China, so I have no clue to track that back.. anybody who know about facebook’s status in China, hit me back!!
Posted by: yohann22 | January 4, 2011, 8:06 am 8:06 am
The gap continues to widen between the fiery views of Chinese nationalists, patriotic to the core, and global opinion that, on the whole, is disgusted with China’s control politics. China may have “opened” in some ways in modern history, but it’s still mired in the isolationism of past millennia that, if it continues, will unquestionably result in collision.
Posted by: agkcrbs | March 9, 2011, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
every one have right to expression
Posted by: suresh | April 10, 2011, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
we should fight for the people right they might be from any country please come together fight for democracy
Posted by: suresh | April 10, 2011, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
Big countries with large population like China and Russia has be have a government that is able to control all the people around the country. As much as I dislike the way they censor things, i think it is good that the government is taking control over facebook and youtube. Racism and other things are very hard to control within these sites. I was living in china and it was much safer a few years ago compared to the present days, in terms of thief. I am for democracy but different countries and culture are best controlled differently
Posted by: Queen B | December 10, 2011, 1:31 am 1:31 am
just want to say that all you people who want to boycott china’s stuff is an idiot.
if china go down, so will america’s.
both country’s economic are interconnected….
just saying.
Posted by: Idk | February 6, 2012, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm