China partially lifts its Internet censorship and restrictions

CNSNews.com has reported that China is loosening their restrictions on Internet censorship, something that privacy advocates have been pressuring China to do for years. With the Olympics coming to town, the Chinese government has lifted many of the tight controls which previously restricted its citizens from freely surfing the Internet. The important part of the story is that these restrictions have not just been lifted at the Olympic games compound, but in other parts of Beijing as well. This ultimately means that Chinese netizens can now use Wikipedia, BBC China, and non-government sites such as Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders. These sites, along with many other have been banned by the Chinese government via The Great Firewall.

For the first time in years, or ever in some cases, Chinese citizens have the the chance to surf the Internet freely and see China from a different point of view. The Chinese government banned many websites that do not coincide with their point of view and Chinese citizens did not have the opportunity to see things from an outside perspective. Chinese netizens had to resort to anonymous proxy servers and other methods to maintain their Internet privacy. People can now openly view and dialog some of the major issues facing China such as: air pollution, Tibet, media censorship, and human rights.

The lifting of the ban came about due to an overwhelming demand from foreign journalists that were angered because they could not visit certain sites they needed. While the ban being lifted is a big deal in China, many sites are still censored and unable to be accessed. Reporters without Borders has stated that their English-language site is no longer banned but the Chinese-language site is. Many Tibetan advocacy sites and the Chinese Human Rights Defenders site still faces the restrictions placed by The Great Firewall.

Although the system isn't perfect, China did agree to loosen the restrictions for the Olympics. This is a step in the right direction, as far as human rights are concerned. While Chinese government and media will always defend their Internet censorship policies, the rest of the world still sees it as a way to oppress their people even more. The major question posed to Chinese citizens is: Does an average person really worry about the censorship? Do they want to know about the U.S. or U.K.'s view on China's government policies? Or is it a case of ignorance is bliss and as long as they have a job, shelter, and food for their family?