In China, Sophisticated Filters Keep the Internet Near Sterile

The spread of the internet in China has played a large role in that country's economic growth, as well as provided a cheap form of entertainment, communication, and learning for those who have web access. But the internet's popularity has not resulted in the open discussion and political reform that Chinese dissidents had hoped for. Rather, the government has concentrated many resources on monitoring web traffic and screening out content which discusses sensitive topics. Several web users who have run afoul of the country's Internet rules have been publicly punished and arrested. In fact, the entire Chinese internet system was set up to guarantee maximum state control over both access and content. Thus far, the popularity of the internet is largely confined to those accessing government-controlled and approved websites, and has focused much more on games and business than politics – and the government is working to keep things that way. – YaleGlobal