China to Start Blocking Unauthorized VPN Providers This April

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https://torrentfreak.com/china-to-start-blocking-unauthorized-vpn-providers-this-april-180203/

China to Start Blocking Unauthorized VPN Providers This April

In a move designed to protect the effectiveness of its 'Great
Firewall', China has warned it will begin blocking unauthorized VPN
services starting April 1, 2018. Despite the strong move, China is
playing down its efforts, noting that anyone who wants to operate a
VPN can still do so by leasing state-approved services via the
government's telecommunications import and export bureau.

Back in January 2017, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology announced a 14-month campaign to crack down on
‘unauthorized’ Internet platforms.

China said that Internet technologies and services had been expanding
in a “disorderly” fashion, so regulation was required. No surprise
then that the campaign targeted censorship-busting VPN services, which
are used by citizens and corporations to traverse the country’s Great
Firewall.

Heralding a “nationwide Internet network access services clean-up”,
China warned that anyone operating such a service would require a
government telecommunications business license. It’s now been more
than a year since that announcement and much has happened in the
interim.

In July 2017, Apple removed 674 VPN apps from its App Store and in
September, a local man was jailed for nine months for selling VPN
software. In December, another man was jailed for five-and-a-half
years for selling a VPN service without an appropriate license from
the government.

This week the government provided an update on the crackdown, telling
the media that it will begin forcing local and foreign companies and
individuals to use only government-approved systems to access the
wider Internet.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) chief engineer
Zhang Feng reiterated earlier comments that VPN operators must be
properly licensed by the government, adding that unlicensed VPNs will
be subjected to new rules which come into force on March 31. The
government plans to block unauthorized VPN providers, official media
reported.

“We want to regulate VPNs which unlawfully conduct cross-border
operational activities,” Zhang told reporters.

“Any foreign companies that want to set up a cross-border operation
for private use will need to set up a dedicated line for that
purpose,” he said.

“They will be able to lease such a line or network legally from the
telecommunications import and export bureau. This shouldn’t affect
their normal operations much at all.”

Radio Free Asia reports that state-run telecoms companies including
China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, which are approved
providers, have all been ordered to prevent their 1.3 billion
subscribers from accessing blocked content with VPNs.

“The campaign aims to regulate the market environment and keep it fair
and healthy,” Zhang added. “[As for] VPNs which unlawfully conduct
cross-border operational activities, we want to regulate this.”

So, it appears that VPN providers are still allowed in China, so long
as they’re officially licensed and approved by the government.
However, in order to get that licensing they need to comply with
government regulations, which means that people cannot use them to
access content restricted by the Great Firewall.

All that being said, Zhang is reported as saying that people shouldn’t
be concerned that their data is insecure as a result – neither
providers nor the government are able to access content sent over a
state-approved VPN service, he claimed.

“The rights for using normal intentional telecommunications services
is strictly protected,” said Zhang, adding that regulation means that
communications are “secure”.