China has intensified efforts to block software that enables internet users to access banned websites during a top political meeting this week, a leading provider of firewall-leaping software told AFP. — AFP picBEIJING, March 10 — China has intensified efforts to block software that enables internet users to access banned websites during a top political meeting this week, a leading provider of firewall-leaping software told AFP.
And as thousands of delegates gather in Beijing this week for the annual “Two Sessions” meeting, VPN software has increasingly struggled to circumvent the censorship while outages have become much more frequent, even when compared to during previous sensitive political events. The use of a VPN without government authorisation is illegal in China, as is using the software to access blocked websites.State media workers and diplomats, however, are allowed to access prohibited websites such as X, formerly Twitter.