Chinese government announces ban on VPN networks unless approved by authorities, raising privacy and security concerns

Briefing

Chinese government announces ban on VPN networks unless approved by authorities, raising privacy and security concerns

February 28, 2017

Briefing

  • Ban on VPN Services – Chinese authorities have made it illegal for virtual private networks to operate unless approved by government, making it harder for Internet users in China to access foreign websites outside of Great Firewall
  • The Great Firewall – Put up to block content from certain websites and pages, with 171 of top 1,000 websites in world restricted in China, including Google, Facebook and Twitter.
  • Privacy and Security Concerns – Ban on VPNs considered threat to privacy and security, as VPN services enable secure access to foreign networks, while Chinese government may access customer information if local VPN providers register with authorities

Market Disruption

Sector

Information Technology

Source

Original Publication Date

January 23, 2017

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