'Clouding' the Issue - the Great Firewall

[Randy W]

Shanghaiist saying maybe the Bloomberg story is not true:

 

http://shanghaiist.com/2017/07/12/vpn-ban-denial.php

 

"China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has told The Paper that, in fact, it has not sent out any orders to the country's telecommunications providers regarding a forthcoming personal VPN ban, calling the Bloomberg piece -- which cited anonymous insiders -- "false.""

 

 

Yes - that's MUCH more believable, since a VPN ban would be VERY unworkable. It would not only shut "a major window to the global internet", but also make it difficult to impossible for ANY English-language site, including the CCP's own sites, such as the People's Daily, Xinhua, and the Global Times. Many of them use Google API functions, and post on Facebook and YouTube.

[Randy W]

. . . and the People's Daily - on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesDaily/photos/a.191212920930533.63965.188625661189259/1600092710042540/?type=3&theater

 

Interesting to see them put in a plug for ExpressVPN

 

People's Daily, China

 

Page Liked · July 13 ·

 

 

 

 

Quote

China’s internet regulator dismisses foreign reports over VPN blocking

 

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on July 12, 2017 released a statement dismissing reports over its ordering major telecommunications provider to block virtual private networks (VPN) access.

 

“We did not give out such notice. The reports from foreign media earlier were not true,” said the Ministry in an interview with Chinese newswire The Paper.

 

The Ministry’s response came after a report from Bloomberg on July 10, in which it said that Chinese government had ordered telecommunications carriers, including state-owned China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, to block individuals from using VPNs by February 1. The enforcement and regulation could force multinational firms to shut down, indicated by Bloomberg.

 

According to a notice released by the department in January, firms that have global businesses should register with the department if they are to use proprietary network or VPNs for business purpose. The firms are considered violating government rules if they attempt to get access to the global internet and conduct cross-border business through their own network without registration.

 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Apple cracks down on itself - from the SCMP

 

Apple pulls major VPN from China App Store

 

China is Apple’s major market for its flagship products, including the iPhone and iPad.

ExpressVPN said it was troubled to see Apple aiding China’s censorship efforts and strongly condemned the measures, which threatened free speech and civil liberties.

Other VPN providers were also affected, it said.

Three mainland iPhone users confirmed that the iOS app was not available but other users said the Windows, Mac and Android versions were still accessible.

 

 

[Greg.D.]

1. Keep ExpressVPN on all my devices before I go to China next time.

2. Once in China, share my wired connection in my laptop to my phones and tablets so that, via a vpn, I can access the app stores outside of China.

 

Ironically, not trying to evade party control of my web activity, just trying to do banking from China.

 

Note to self: remember to try to notice if anything changed after the upcoming party congress on which all this information controlling activity is blamed.

[Randy W]

The WSJ added some info

 

Apple Removes Apps That Allowed China Users to Get Around Filters

Popular apps giving users access to virtual private networks disappear from the mainland China version of Apple’s App Store

 

One service, ExpressVPN, said in a blog post that Apple had notified it that its iOS app was removed from the Chinese App Store. ExpressVPN published a copy of the notice, which said the app included content that was illegal in China.

Another company, Star VPN, said on its Twitter account that it had also received the notice. Searches in the China App store for a number of popular VPN apps turned up no results Saturday evening.

“We’re disappointed in this development, as it represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China’s censorship efforts,” the ExpressVPN blog post said.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China’s internet regulators have not responded to multiple requests for comment about their regulation of VPNs.

Apple’s move appears aimed at helping the company stay on the safe side of a raft of tough new cybersecurity regulations designed to solidify Beijing’s grip on the Chinese internet. Earlier this month, the Cupertino, Calif., technology giant announced that, because of the new rules, it planned to store all of its Chinese customers’ data on servers operated by a government-controlled company.

. . .

A southern China data-services company with over 160 clients said it received orders last week from the Ministry of Public Security, which runs China’s police forces, to cut off access to foreign providers of VPNs. Those orders came days after a luxury hotel in Beijing, the Waldorf Astoria, said in a letter to guests that it had stopped offering VPNs “due to legal issues in China.”

Earlier this month, a well-known Chinese provider announced it had been told by regulators to stop service.

 

[Greg.D.]

Notice that there are not analogous Android/Google Play stories. 99+% of iPhone are not "jailbroken" and can only get their apps from the Apple iTunes Store. So, removing them from the official Apple App Store is very effective.

 

One of the reasons I am not fond of android is the Wild, Wild West nature of apps making their way through the android OS. That and it's 1990's clunky interface and experience, odd considering both android and Apple iOS are traceable to UNIX.

 

Anyway, the question remains how do they go after Android vpn's (assuming they want to)? Probably by blocking VPN traffic. Now it has me thinking if they actually want to further harm apple in China - you know, the not made here pride thing and all.

[Randy W]

Android and Windows both allow "side-loading" of apps - using an installation file from another device, rather than having to download directly from an 'app' store.

 

Apple is taking the same approach adopted by Google before they abandoned the market - censor yourself in a misguided effort to appease the "authorities".

 

The only way they would have to know that you are connected to a VPN is if you are connected to default OpenVPN Port 1194 (this was the downfall of Witopia), or by noticing an excessive amount of traffic to a specific computer. ExpressVPN over a TCP connection looks the same as traffic to any other TCP connection.

 

Of course, they could always sign up for the service themselves, figure out the IP addresses of the servers, and just block those specific IP's.

[Greg.D.]

Sideloading is good, of course, if you want to install legitimate apps from Google Play store when you live in a place that blocks google play store and you can get the install file from somewhere.

 

But there are, of course, unlimited opportunities to install android apps that have had no quality or safety checks from a mainstream store, including VPNs as well as malicious apps.

 

The more I think about it, it seems like an attempt to reduce iPhone appeal.

[Randy W]

Sideloading is good, of course, if you want to install legitimate apps from Google Play store when you live in a place that blocks google play store and you can get the install file from somewhere.

 

But there are, of course, unlimited opportunities to install android apps that have had no quality or safety checks from a mainstream store, including VPNs as well as malicious apps.

 

The more I think about it, it seems like an attempt to reduce iPhone appeal.

 

 

A case of Apple being intimidated into shooting itself in the foot - there are several VPN clients (including ExpressVPN) available behind the GFW through the Amazon app store.

[Allon]

Thanks for the techie discussion. Confirmed some thoughts I had too with my experience while in China, albeit a while ago. Catching up is good.

 

I notice also that some sites even in America, including some banks, don't allow VPN's just by keeping track of your IP, really the last one used and literally telling you cannot login. Some of the information lookup or cross referencing telephone to name sites have done that when users with VPN's caused some lawsuits when they found information and marketed those numbers and names.

 

I wrote an email to my bank when they blocked me. I was astounded. They later removed the block.

 

They might get smarter (as China might, as Randy pointed out) to have a table for each IP used. And either block or allow (for customer convenience) entry to the site.

 

All in all, this is getting very complicated for an average user.

 

My wife showed me a picture (from her Android) of a recent kidnapped Asian woman where the (American) police have yet to find her body. The suspected kidnapper won't talk. She was very sad about it and said America has a lot of violence more than China. "They should kill people who do this. This man was arrested earlier for violence. In China he would be gone."

 

I told her that China blocks reporting of some violence while America has a free press, so violence is reported more here. She did not understand and therefore did not believe me.. But it is creating a lot of discussion about Chinese migration to America here within the Chinese community. I think it is healthy. It might lead to a better understanding of censorship.

[Greg.D.]

U.S. probably does have more crime than China - and good thing it's at a 20 or 30 year low!

 

Somehow crime against a Chinese person abroad is more sensationalized because it's an opportunity to "prove" prejudice against Chinese and how inferior other countries are to China. Remember how all manner of protest was allowed against Malaysian Airlines?

 

True, the guy who probably killed the Chinese student is not talking so we can't kill him (yet).

[Allon]

I think we had several discussions of this issue in both forums, but it is not the topic. Sorry if I sidetracked but I meant to point out the censorship in China is, as we know, pervasive outside of the internet.

 

I agree about the propaganda angle to China. We have had several of those with western people who came to China for the Olympics, and did not return, alive that is. So I am not necessarily talking about the crime rate, which in China of course is known to be downgraded. But who is doing the killing and not reporting it? And do they allow guns in China? Guns make murder much easier, as we have seen here, especially now in Chicago.

 

I think earlier we linked in several incidents where maniacs in China took a knife to school children. There were several high profile murders, and not sure who posted it, but some buildings had window guards all the way to the 6th floor. In her city, Falun Gong religious "cultists" have literally disappeared when the police hauled them away. So it's a question of reporting by the police of either their own killing or not reporting of others by the government. T Square comes to mind. Oh, but that is correct: the CCP said 33 people were killed, some of them PLA. Right....

 

Deaths in prisons often go unreported by violent or other means. I visited a friend of my wife's in Seattle and met her husband. quite a gentle man, who fished every day and brought food to the table. He apparently did something bad in China, and was extradited or deported, not sure of those circumstances. But he had to go back to China. He died in prison months later but the family was not told until 6 months later when someone in the family kept trying to visit. They got a lawyer and the Chinese government paid a hefty sum of money to his wife. I know it's anecdotal but I am sure this kind of thing goes on. The organ thefts in prison have resulted in deaths too. How many do we know about?

 

My wife was mugged 3 times in her life as an adult, never mind when she lived thru the Cultural Revolution. She seems to have been victim of the cultural amnesia.

 

Not to say we don't have police killings but certainly not at the rate of China, and many of those are related to corruption than a panicky cop.

 

It is interesting that on rating the fear of crime in walking the streets at night, China is rated 74%. higher than the US, but the murder and violence rate is higher in the US, but that's the nature of who is keeping track of whom....

 

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/China/United-States/Crime

[Randy W]

 

Sideloading is good, of course, if you want to install legitimate apps from Google Play store when you live in a place that blocks google play store and you can get the install file from somewhere.

 

But there are, of course, unlimited opportunities to install android apps that have had no quality or safety checks from a mainstream store, including VPNs as well as malicious apps.

 

The more I think about it, it seems like an attempt to reduce iPhone appeal.

 

 

A case of Apple being intimidated into shooting itself in the foot - there are several VPN clients (including ExpressVPN) available behind the GFW through the Amazon app store.

 

 

 

What I'm thinking now is that this latest "crackdown" began with THIS, back in January - China Orders Registration of App Stores

 

That is, it represents a crackdown on all "unauthorized apps", rather than VPN's specifically. If you already have a VPN client on your device (or install one from a "store" OUTSIDE of China), you should be just fine.

[Greg.D.]

Right, you had said above Apple "... was initimidated into shooting itself in the foot" and I thought, well, it had no choice: VPNs were being banned for not "being licensed". Of course, "being licensed" means providing a back door into data and identities to Uncle Xi.

 

Still, with Android and jail-broken iPhones, you can get apps into a phone without an App Store, licensed or not.

 

I think they'll reduce unapproved apps but I don't see them achieving 100% control over phones.

[Allon]

By logical extension, I don't see them solving the problem of complete censorship with today's modern tools.