from freedomhouse.org Full Article
Status: Not Free
Obstacles to Access: 18 (0–25)
Limits on Content: 27 (0–35)
Violations of User Rights: 33 (0–40)
Total Score: 78 (0–100)
Population: 1.3 billion
Internet Users/Penetration 2006: 137 million / 10 percent
Internet Users/Penetration 2008: 298 million / 22 percent
Mobile Phone Users/Penetration 2006: 461 Million
Mobile Phone Users/Penetration 2008: 633 Million
Freedom of the Press (2008) Score/Status: 84 / Not Free
Digital Opportunity Index (2006) Ranking: 77 out of 181
GNI Per Capita (PPP): $5,400
Web 2.0 Applications Blocked: Yes
Political Content Systematically Filtered: Yes
Bloggers/Online Journalists Arrested: Yes
Introduction
Although China is home to the largest population of internet users in the world and has witnessed increasing creativity and “pushback” from its netizens, the country’s internet environment remains one of the most controlled in the world. China’s 1.3 billion citizens have only a limited ability to access and circulate information that is vital to their well-being and the country’s future direction. The Chinese authorities maintain a sophisticated and multilayered system of mechanisms for censoring, monitoring, and controlling activities on the internet and mobile telephones. This system has been enhanced in recent years with new attempts to manipulate online discussion, including the recruitment of commentators to guide opinions and more forceful encouragement of self-discipline among private internet companies and web-hosting services. The country also boasts the world’s largest number of individuals imprisoned for their online activities, with at least 49 cyberdissidents behind bars as of mid-2008.[1]
The internet was first opened for public access in China in 1996, and the number of users has since grown exponentially, from 20 million in 2001 to over 200 million in 2008.[2] From the beginning, however, the Chinese government has sought to assert its authority over the new medium. The underlying system of infrastructural control and filtering technology has been more or less complete since 2003,[3] while more sophisticated forms of content manipulation have gained prominence only recently. Nevertheless, due to the egalitarian nature and technical flexibility of the internet, the online environment remains more free than traditional media. In recent years, the country’s growing community of bloggers, online commentators, and human rights defenders has played a role in uncovering official corruption, mobilizing citizens for humanitarian efforts, and exposing rights abuses. Some groups have used information and communication technologies (ICTs) to launch more direct critiques of the regime, though the authorities have thus far managed to prevent a viable alternative to the current political system from gaining momentum in cyberspace.
