China's Firewall Breach Gives Internet Users Access To Previously Blocked Social Networking Sites

By Melanie Lee

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Some Chinese Internet users have this week been able to access blocked websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, relishing the newfound freedom although the reason for the breach in China's Great Firewall of censorship was a mystery.

China blocks most foreign social networking sites (SNS) out of fear that unfettered access would lead to instability. Chinese SNS firms have filled the void by offering similar products that censor topics the government may find sensitive.

"I can suddenly access YouTube! No need to breach the firewall!" Weibo user Arvin Xie posted on Tuesday.

Weibo is a microblogging platform, similar to Twitter, that allows users to post short messages and follow other users.

Internet users including students on university campuses reported that they were able to access YouTube, Facebook and Twitter on their mobile phones and desktops in the afternoon and evening on Monday and Tuesday.

"I used Facebook for the first time yesterday," Zhang Wenjin, 23, a student at Shanghai's prestigious Jiao Tong University told Reuters on Tuesday.

"I went on and took a look. I'm sure there were suddenly a lot of people who signed up on Facebook yesterday," Zhang said, adding that she had also signed up for an account.

It is unclear what caused the crack in China's Great Firewall, as the blocking of websites and censoring of search results for politically sensitive terms is known, or how widespread it was.

On Wednesday, access to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter was again blocked.

Some users in China pay for a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass the blocking of websites and censoring of searches.

Over the weekend, Chinese users also gained access to Google Inc's social networking site, Google+ and flooded U.S. President Barack Obama's page on the site with calls for greater freedom in the world's most populous country.

Google+ is currently blocked through regular desktop access but its mobile application, which let users in China access the site, has become accessible recently.

China, with more than 500 million Internet users, is the world's largest and most vibrant Internet community.

(Additional reporting by Jane Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Robert Birsel)

Comments

[Yiddish Rav]

01:02 AM on 03/02/2012

The Golden Shield Project.

[sabrina D]

12:25 AM on 03/02/2012

It would be good if chinese firewall without blocking could give access to facebook and twitter. they are facing so many important bad issues

[Mark Kenedy]

12:41 AM on 03/02/2012

I Agree with you !!!!!

[sabrina D]

11:55 PM on 03/04/2012

Thanks Mark :)

[Jack Davies]

07:46 AM on 03/01/2012

It's a traaap!

[Kenneth T Tellis]

02:39 PM on 02/29/2012

Is that what is called The Great FIREWALL of CHINA?

[Jim281]

01:22 PM on 02/29/2012

"China, with more than 500 million Internet users, is the world's largest and most vibrant Internet community"

And they can't even use it! Pity!!

[sculptor]

02:53 PM on 02/29/2012

It just shows that thing that China fears most is the Chinese...

[Jim281]

02:58 PM on 02/29/2012

LOL the Chineese fear the Chineese like Santorum fears the educated!

[TaiJi2]

01:16 PM on 02/29/2012

Maybe Anonymous should choose the Great Firewall as their cause celeb.

[LonesomeDave]

01:56 PM on 02/29/2012

From what I hear in the rumor mill...stay tuned..

[TheWanger]

03:01 PM on 02/29/2012

My thoughts exactly.

[rpeterson2205]

01:11 PM on 02/29/2012

Arvin Xie might be relocated soon. . .

[maverick9808]

01:03 PM on 02/29/2012

what happens when the chinese realize we are profiting off their misery? Personally i dont wanna find out

[Anne Mccormick]

12:57 PM on 02/29/2012

good! now these Chinese people will be able to learn the truth about what their Government is doing inside China itself.

[Post31]

12:50 PM on 02/29/2012

And the sales of tissue paper and hand lotion sky rocketed in China.

[GandenT]

12:27 PM on 02/29/2012

The trails and tribulations of our totalitarian business partner...

[omegapoint]

12:23 PM on 02/29/2012

Ready China? Here comes all our garbage.

[wxw101]

12:15 PM on 02/29/2012

And to think our progressives hold up China as an example.

[GandenT]

12:26 PM on 02/29/2012

Nonsense, Nixon open up China's slave labor market and conservative free market fundamentalists endlesly tout the healing influence of laissez faire capitalism. American progressives are interested in American not global interests.

[Nikuman]

01:10 PM on 02/29/2012

That's your problem, you don't think.

[samuel liu]

12:04 PM on 02/29/2012

What's the use of getting o FCBK in cn, just another way of the govt tracking you

[Celebrindan]

11:29 AM on 02/29/2012

Finally.