Two Chinese netizens who broke through the Great Firewall to access blocked international websites were recently punished by police authorities.
Zhu Yunfeng was fined 1,000 yuan ($146) for violating China’s internet laws against making international connections, according to an announcement published Dec. 28 by Shaoguan City police in southern China’s Guangdong Province on the provincial branch website. Zhu’s penalty sheet, which was posted online, shows that Zhu is 30 years old and a resident of Nanxiong City, which is governed by Shaoguan City authorities.
By comparison, an individual caught using illicit drugs faces a 500 yuan fine, according to China’s criminal code.Chinese internet censorship, known collectively as the Great Firewall, blocks access to a variety of politically sensitive sites, as well as popular Western social media platforms and media. Among the list of banned sites, totaling about 600,000, are Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, Google, YouTube, BBC, and Reuters.
