A widely circulated Chinese social media article warning that internet users can be punished simply for bypassing China’s online censorship system has drawn attention to what observers say is an expanding clampdown on access to the global internet.
The article, published June 2 on Chinese social media WeChat and later archived by California-based nonprofit China Digital Times, which tracks China’s state censorship, compiled a series of publicly reported cases of suppression on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs).
The cases included fines imposed on users who accessed overseas websites, penalties for selling VPN services, arrests related to the dissemination of overseas political content, and investigations into internet activity dating back several years….Â
Chinese Article Warns VPN Use Alone Can Trigger Punishment Under Expanding Censorship Regime
