Great Firewall of China
Who built the infrastructure?
The Great Firewall of China (GFW), officially known as the Golden Shield Project, represents one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive internet censorship and surveillance systems in the world. Implemented in the late 1990s and continuously evolved since then, it serves as the Chinese government’s primary tool for regulating internet access within its borders.
This massive infrastructure project employs various technical methods to control internet traffic, including:
- IP address blocking of foreign websites and services
- DNS poisoning and redirection
- Deep packet inspection of network traffic
- URL filtering and keyword blocking
- Man-in-the-middle attacks on encrypted connections
The Great Firewall effectively creates a separate Chinese internet ecosystem, blocking access to many international platforms like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, while promoting domestic alternatives such as Baidu, WeChat, and Weibo. This digital barrier not only controls information flow but also helps foster China’s domestic internet industry.
The system’s impact extends beyond simple content blocking:
- It influences online behavior through self-censorship
- Shapes public discourse within China
- Affects international businesses operating in the Chinese market
- Serves as a model for other nations seeking to implement internet controls
The Great Firewall stands as a prime example of how technological infrastructure can be used to implement national-level internet censorship, raising important questions about digital sovereignty and the future of the global internet.