INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The ongoing coronavirus crisis is making it more difficult for Chinese citizens and expats in the country to access the global internet as
the Chinese government has once again initiated a crackdown on VPN services.By preventing users from accessing VPNs within its borders,
China can more easily control the flow of information into and out of the country
While this allows the country to stop misinformation regarding the coronavirus from spreading online, it also makes it more difficult for
Chinese citizens and residents to find out what is really going on around the world.VPNs give users the ability to bypass China's Great
Firewall and the country's government allows these services to operate to some degree.Although the Chinese government has banned private,
unregistered VPN services, it does allow government-registered ones to operate in the country
Registered VPNs are mainly used by foreign and domestic businesses that need to access the global internet as part of their daily operations
For example, many Chinese businesses have a strong presence on Twitter, despite the service being banned in the country, and they all use
registered VPNs to access it.For the most part, China has enforced its VPN ban more forcefully against VPN providers than it has against
individuals using these services within its borders
instance, during last year's National People's Congress meeting in March, which is the largest annual political gathering in China, many VPN
users complained that they were unable to bypass the country's firewall
The same thing occurred last September when users voiced concerns about VPN servers being down ahead of the 70th anniversary celebrations of
the founding of the People's Republic of China.The website Greatfire tracks the performance of VPNs in China and according to its creator
Charlie Smith, VPN users across the country have found it increasingly difficult to use these services since the coronavirus outbreak began
similar to what happens during major government meetings in China
The authorities throttle VPN usage, rendering use of the foreign Internet near impossible."Greatfire tracks VPN speeds over a 60-day period
and since the outbreak began, 10 of the top 15 VPNs working in China have shown a significant decline in performance.Also check out our
complete list of the best VPN servicesVia Fortune
