Tearing Down the Great Firewall of China

[Guest ATCA]

A growing number of companies are taking advantage of the exploding market to circumvent "Internet Censorship" by providing tunnelling networks, also known as virtual provider networks (VPNs). VPNs give web surfers a secure way to log on and safely access the Internet in such public places as hotels, bars and coffee shops by letting users "tunnel" through to a server in a country that doesn't have China-type Internet restrictions. Then the tunnelling network encrypts information under an anonymous computer address to prevent monitoring by policing authorities. The take up of such networks is greatest amongst expatriates. Non-Chinese citizens living in China are used to unrestricted and unencumbered access to their favourite websites and they are not prepared to tolerate a watered-down Internet because they are used to global access. The expatriates are far from home, and the VPNs are their lifeline connection to family and friends back home. They, alongside angry Chinese citizens in their millions, are doing anything it takes to make sure that they use VPN networks to tunnel through The Great Firewall of China or do "Fanqiang", ie, scale the wall!