China Telecom is blocking access to Skype according to reports from people inside the country. China Telecom, according to Shanghai Daily, began blocking in the affluent souther city of Shenzhen near Hong Kong. China Telecom has the broadband internet service that allows access to Skype and has plans to eventually block the service throughout its coverage area nationwide.Admiral wrote:What are you talking about? http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A6%96%E9%A1%B5Since China has recently banned SKYPE and Wikapedia I doubt that you can make an informed opinion.
http://blog.xintiantang.com/skype/e_396.html
Also created is a "black list" of people in China who use the service and those black listed say they have been threatened with fines if they attempt to get around the blocking.
Official word from China Telecom was basic information, "Under the current laws and regulations of China, PC-to-phone services are strictly regulated and only China Telecom and China Netcom are permitted to carry out trials."
China routinely blocks access to web sites on politically sensitive subjects as the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square, but blockages of sites for purely economic reasons is much less common. One user in Shenzhen complained that the whole thing looks to him like a plot to make back money lost by China Telecom to users who use Skype. China Telecom considers its long distance business as a very important revenue source.
Already China has cracked down on its people as shown by Shi Tao who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on April 27 for "illegally providing state secrets abroad".
The state secrets--He had posted on the internet a government gag order prohibiting the state press from commemorating the 15th anniversary of the ~ crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests.
How did they do it? American companies are helping them. Yahoo provided the contents of Shi Tao's mail account in hopes that the action will win them favour in the eyes of Chinas government so that they have an edge in business and future profits.
"The role that Yahoo played in securing Shi Taos conviction does damage to Yahoo's brand name."--Reporters Without Borders.
Other US software and internet companies, such as Microsoft and Google, have also adapted their services in China in ways that have restricted access to information.