Global social media: China
Overview Of The Great Firewall Of China
The Golden Shield Project, sometimes known as the Great Firewall of China, is an internet censorship program that blocks users from visiting certain foreign websites (Schmitz 2022). When it relates to knowledge of democracy, free speech, and human rights, for example, the Chinese government utilizes this to restrict online content that it finds unsuitable or politically sensitive. The Ministry of Public Security controls the firewall, which prevents users from accessing certain websites, social media networks, and even search engines including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google Search, and many more.
The Ways China’s Great Firewall Works In Blocking Social Media Access In China
IP Blocking
The Great Firewall of China uses the well-known and widely used method of IP blocking to block access to multiple IP addresses (Schmitz 2022). The router can be set up to stop all data packets from going to a website's IP address if it is found unwanted (Benetti 2022). Routers immediately discard any packets going to IP addresses on a blacklist of unwanted addresses. This technique is named "network black-holing" (Demakis 2021).
DNS Poisoning
Any request for a website first goes to the DNS server to get the IP address of the website before accessing it at the address that is returned (Schmitz 2022). However, if the DNS server has been hacked, it will give the user a false IP address and direct them to a different website that has material that differs from the original website (Benetti 2022). To block access to websites like Twitter, China purposefully tampers with its DNS caches (Hoffman 2017).
Deep Packet Inspection
A content inspection technique called deep packet inspection can be used to search through unencrypted packets for sensitive information. Intrusion Detection Systems as known as IDS components are used by deep packet inspection (Demakis 2021). Data packets going to and entering from a server are examined by software. The packets are then duplicated, and any banned keywords are checked for. If the URL or meta tags contain inappropriate words, the software breaks the connection (Benetti 2022).
Negative Effects Of The Social Credit System On China Citizens
Chinese individuals are negatively impacted by the Social Credit System in several ways. The system is intended to keep tabs on and regulate how its residents behave by providing the government access to private data about them that they would not typically have. The social credit score, which the government can easily manage, is based on information gathered from a variety of sources, including internet usage history, financial transactions, public documents like court cases, and more. In addition, the Chinese government will be able to compile a list of individuals who are "untrustworthy" in order to restrict them from leaving the country or even being hired there. People who require loans in order to survive or even grow in their lives may find it more difficult to obtain loans as a result of their social credit score. Some employers would not accept a job application from someone with no credit history or bad credit history. If the person's social rating is too low, they may not be able to rent an apartment in some cities or counties. A person's family members may also be impacted by their poor social credit score if they have one. It impacts not only the private lives of individuals but also businesses that conduct commerce with China and other places with which they have trade deals.
Bad Consequences Of Social Media Surveillance On China’s Public Health
Social media monitoring by the Chinese government not only compromises individuals' privacy but also has bad consequences for the general public's health. The first effect is that it discourages individuals from obtaining timely medical assistance. People who are subject to governmental monitoring avoid discussing sensitive matters online and as a result, fail to get prompt medical attention for their disorders. For instance, Chinese individuals find it challenging to discuss HIV-related topics because they are concerned about being punished if they publish sensitive information on social media.
Patients also have restricted access to information about their own diseases and therapies, which further prevents them from obtaining prompt care. This is because many doctors are reluctant to share patient information online out of concern that they would be tracked by the government. Additionally, this has resulted in a reduction in the amount of information available on specific topics. Suicide is one of the main causes of death in China, hence the Chinese government also keeps an eye on internet discussions regarding mental illness and suicide. Some persons may be discouraged from seeking assistance or confiding in others as a result of this surveillance.
Furthermore, under the system of China's national system for the prevention and control of illness. As a measure to keep track of its people’s behaviours, the Chinese government is attempting to social credit scores to access several services, including travel or even healthcare services, which will be refused if the person has a poor social credit score. Because they don't want sick individuals spreading illnesses or being infectious, the government can easily hunt down those who are ill and prevent them from receiving healthcare services.
Summary
I think China’s surveillance on social media provides more negative impacts on its citizens than protecting or saving their citizens, where citizens lack freedom from the control of the government based on the production of the Great Firewall of China, and the Social Credit System.
Reference List
Benetti, S 2022, The Great Firewall of China: What it is and how to get around it, EXPERTE, viewed 22 November 2022, <https://www.experte.com/internet-censorship/great-firewall-china>.
Demakis, R 2021, Understanding the Great Firewall of China, Demakis Technologies, viewed 22 November 2022, <https://demakistech.com/great-firewall-of-china/>.
Schmitz, M 2022, How the Great Firewall of China affects performance of websites outside of China, Dotcom-Monitor, viewed 2 December 2022, <https://www.dotcom-monitor.com/blog/2022/03/27/how-the-great-firewall-of-china-affects-performance-of-websites-outside-of-china/#:~:text=The%20Great%20Firewall%20of%20China%2C%20or%20as%20it>.












