When was the Internet first established in China?
The internet was first established in China in 1994. However, as in many other countries, the first computer networks were machine to machine links which would later become a group of machines connected on a public data network. The academic and scientific sectors led the way in this computer evolution. The major Chinese pubic data network was established in 1986
Why didn't the Internet bring the same free access to information that it has brought to the United States?
Many people predicted that the introduction of the Internet would open China up to a sea of information that would lead to the collapse of the Chinese government. Initally the Chinese government was overwhelmed and Chinese internet users gained increasing amounts of information. However, in 1998, when it became clear that the Chinese government attempts to monitor the internet were being ovewhelmed, several U.S firms came to assist the Chinese by setting up a new internet architecture which allowed China's cyberpolice to monitor Internet sites in real time and identify both site owners and visitors.
Who has helped China censor internet information?
Major U.S firms have helped with this clampdown of the Internet. In 2001, Yahoo signed an agreement with Chinese security authorities to avoid producing, posting, or disseminating information that may jeopardize state security and social stability. U.S firms have not just been making concessions to the Chinese government, they have also been selling technology to the government that is vital to it's attempts to regulate the internet.
  1. All Chinse internet traffic is routed through five channels using U.S made devices
  2. American engineers developed special routers, integrators, and a special "firewall box" programmed to monitor internet traffic and detect selected keywords.
In the future, is the Internet going to be more regulated or will it become too large for China to regulate effectively?
All signs point to the Chinese government ultimately failing at regulating the internet. While the consequences for being caught breaking Chinese cyberlaws are severe, there are still many ways to get around China's security measures. Another problem is that Government controlled news agencies are quickly being supplanted by bloggers other Web sources. Another issue is that governments attemps to regulate the internet would undermine online business. Policing encryption technology would undermine commercie which is important to China's efforts to lift the economy. Money wins out over spying on and stamping out dissidents. United States companies have been cooperating so far with the Chinese governments demands. Though Congress is beginning to the investigate the situation, it will be up to all the United States companies to stand up to the Chinese government.