We don’t really understand how China’s Great Firewall works writes Eveline Chao. Some of the things you might not know include:

• For the most part it’s not the government who does the censoring. Instead private companies who operate on the internet are forced to obtain a license which requires them to censor their own content, based on what might offend the communist party.
• Not all criticism of the government is censored. In fact the majority of criticism remains uncensored; it’s only calls to organize or take action that is blocked.
• The internet will not lead to democracy. While the internet provides opportunities to express the desire for democratic, freedoms; it can also be used to more easily monitor and quash dissent.

Read more about the dangers of using a VPN in China, the rarity of blanket bans, and how much the Chinese understand about the firewall that surrounds them over here.

Source: Foreign Policy