Confirmed: All Typepad blogs blocked in China
Asiapundit first sounded the alarm. Now it's confirmed. All Typepad blogs, including this one, cannot be seen in China. (Note that Blogger has been blocked in China for some time.) I asked some people in China to attempt accessing this blog and a long list of other random Typepad blogs (including ones that never discuss China), without using a proxy. None could be accessed. Now all Typepad blogs wanting to be seen in China will have to migrate to another blog hosting service or onto an independent server. Meanwhile, Asiapundit has created a series of graphics like the one on the right which you can put on your blocked blog to help create awareness of the problem.
The Chinese government is mainly to blame for this, but it's important to consider the way in which U.S. technology is being used to stifle free speech in China - and the extent to which U.S. companies are responsible for this usage. This includes not only Microsoft, but also Cisco Systems and others. Here is what Reporters Without Borders had to say about Cisco's complicity in a recent report:
The architecture of the Chinese Internet was designed from the outset to allow information control. There are just five backbones or hubs through which all traffic must pass. No matter what ISP is chosen by Internet users, their e-mails and the files they download and send must pass through one of these hubs.
China then acquired state-of-the-art technology and equipment from US companies. Cisco Systems has sold China several thousand routers at more that 16,000 euros each for use in building the regime's surveillance infrastructure. This equipment was programmed with the help of Cisco engineers. It allows the authorities to read data transmitted on the Internet and to spot "subversive" key words. The police are able to identify who visits banned sites and who sends "dangerous" e-mail messages.
As this excellent article on the issue points out, Cisco denies direct complicity. There is also an argument to be made that the existence of Cisco routers in China on the whole has done more to facilitate free speech than to stifle it.
It's a complicated issue. We need greater scrutiny of U.S. tech companies in China by bloggers, journalists, human rights activists, and anybody who cares about free speech and corporate accountability. We need more information about what these companies actually know when they are selling their products and services. To what extent are they actively providing service and support for uses that are clearly aimed to stifle free speech?
Why doesn't the Global Internet Freedom Act address corporate complicity at all? If you're American, write your congressperson and demand that it should.
It’s fairly easy to see things as black and white, good and bad or right and wrong. And It would be easy to say that this "oppressive” country should be boycotted, but what good will that do? I agree with BBC World’s Bill Thompson’s comments about Google’s decision to filter its results to please Chinese lawmakers. The same can be applied to this subject matter. “If we in the West, with our liberal political culture and our attempts to build open societies, do not engage with China then we lose the opportunity to influence them and convince them of the benefits that this brings. If the Chinese government fears instability then we should offer help and advice and support, not closed borders and locked doors.”
What I'm saying is...for political change to occur in China... it has to happen slowly and the country itself has to want it.
Posted by: wayward_soul | February 01, 2006 at 05:00 PM
Rebecca, For you information I enjoy reading your articles and so does Cisco. I posted a comment on one of your articles and Cisco followed the link to my site.
Just so you know you do you have everyone's attention. :)
Posted by: CiscoHQ Cisco Forum | February 09, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Yes that is correct. I liked your comment. I too belong to the same profile and this was of great help.
Patrick Loweri
http://www.ciscousedselect.com
Posted by: Patrick Loweri | February 11, 2006 at 07:39 PM
This blog posting was of great use in learning new information and also in exchanging our views. Thank you.
Mary Anne Martin
http://www.ciscousedselect.com
Posted by: Mary Anne Martin | May 05, 2006 at 03:51 AM
Good ideas here and thanks. It seems to me that the proliferation of ebooks is tied into the readers out there and these need work. People who read, also like to curl up with a good book and they complain that this is not possible with the ebook readers. It seems tgo me that when the push came for ebooks it was not matched with the quality of readers that could make ebooks fly.... What can be done to improve readers in your opinion?
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Posted by: john | May 15, 2006 at 03:00 PM
It is so shame that some countries block websites and block. You can fight for your freedom and access all the informational sites and blogs, totaly free and anonymous from http://www.hidemyway.com. Good Luck. Cheers
Posted by: shmekerosu | October 19, 2006 at 08:38 PM