A Stitch in Haste

A Stitch in Haste recommends the following report from the Congressional Research Service:

Internet Development and Information Control
in the People's Republic of ChinaSummary:

Since its founding in 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has often been accused of manipulating the flow of information and prohibiting the dissemination of viewpoints that criticize the government or stray from the official Communist party view. The introduction of Internet technology in the mid-1990's presented a challenge to government control over news sources, and by extension, over public opinion. While the Internet has developed rapidly and increased the daily convenience of many Chinese citizens, freedom of expression online, as in the media, is still significantly stifled.

Empirical studies have found that China has one of the most sophisticated content-filtering Internet regimes in the world. The Chinese government employs increasingly sophisticated methods to limit content online, including a combination of legal regulation, surveillance, and punishment to promote self-censorship, as well as technical controls.

The report is 15 pages and quite sobering. Of course, some of us have always been quite sober toward China's Communist dictators.

Previous CRS Recommendations:
Summary of Rumsfeld v. FAIR