The New York Times Banned in China

I could be wrong.

I can also imagine China's leaders breathing a sigh as relief as the 2008 Olympics fade into the past, and they can get back to business as usual.

The Chinese government announced that it has the right to block sites that it thinks are inappropriate. Like ones that don't agree with the Beijing official assumptions about Taiwan.

Now, people in China can't get at The New York Times online edition: unless they risk using an unapproved server.

The New York Times is in good company. China's 'don't read' list includes

• Chinese-language versions of the BBC
• Voice of America
• Hong Kong media
  • Ming Pao News
  • Asiaweek
  (Reuters (December 20, 2008)

As Reuters put it, "China regularly blocks sites it finds unsavoury, particularly those related to Tibet or critical of the Communist Party."

I've said this before: be careful what you wish for. People who want 'hate speech' or anti-American opinions banned or blocked, or who are trying to 'save the children' from the Internet may have reason to be concerned.

But I think there's a very real danger in having someone decide for us what we are and are not allowed to see. And China's an example of a place where people are very 'protected' from things they're not supposed to know.

Some related posts:

• "Pentagon Hacked, Removable Media Banned: Cyberattack Hits American Military"
  (November 20, 2008)
• "White House Computers Hacked, Probably by China: News That's Not Fit to Print?"
  (November 9, 2008)
• "The New York Times, Insularity, and Assumptions"
  (October 21, 2008)
• "Thai Police, Punctured Protesters, and Exploding Tear Gas from China"
  (October 13, 2008)
• "World Bank Group Network Hacked; Chinese IPs Used: Just What We Need"
  (October 10, 2008)
• "Melamine,China, the 2008 Olympics, and Transparency"
  (September 29, 2008)
• "Liu Xiang and the 2008 Olympics: There's Something to Learn Here"
  (August 18, 2008)
• "China: Land of Harmony, Stability, Freedom, and Blue Skies"
  (August 13, 2008)

(There's more: type China into the search box at the top of this blog.)

In the news:

• "China blocks access to New York Times Web site"
  Associated Press (December 20, 2008)
• "China blocks Internet access to NY Times"
  Reuters (December 20, 2008)
• "China Blocks Access to The Times’s Web Site"
  The New York Times (December 19, 2008)
• "China Defends Right to Block Web Site Access"
  PC World (December 16, 2008)
• "China slammed for jailing Internet users"
  CNN (November 27, 2002)

Related posts, on censorship, propaganda, and freedom of speech.