New Study Details China’s Expansive, Evolving Online Censorship System

A new study and online resource by ChinaFile, the Asia Society’s online magazine, offers a deep dive into the inner workings of China’s vast online censorship regime, examining how it operates technically, how it shapes information flows both into and within China, and what it means for the future of the global internet.

Led by ChinaFile Senior Editor for Investigations Jessica Batke and Northeastern University Computer Science Assistant Professor Laura Edelson, the project draws on interviews with experts, decades of computer science research, and a detailed review of policy and regulatory changes. It explores not only the technical architecture but also the social and political dimensions of censorship in China—offering insight into its purpose, scope, and likely evolution.

The authors warn that anyone seeking to defend an open, global internet must understand the risks posed by a censorship system that transcends borders and the threats to user privacy embedded in new technical standards.

Key findings include:

• Beyond a “Firewall”: China’s system isn’t just about blocking outside information. It’s a complex, adaptive apparatus spanning online and offline controls. The authors dub it “the Locknet,” likening it to a water-control system that can selectively hold back or release information.

• Harder to Evade: China’s censorship tools are becoming more sophisticated and less visible, making it harder for citizens to detect when information is being blocked or filtered—and when they need to use circumvention tools.

• Global Reach: Elements of China’s censorship are extending into the broader internet. International users may be affected when companies replicate China’s censorship—for example, by integrating censored large language models into widely used products.

• Privacy Risks in New Standards: Chinese tech companies are promoting new internet standards that sacrifice user privacy for efficiency. These standards are already deployed inside and outside China. The report warns that if international regulators fail to scrutinize these technologies, they risk undermining privacy and free expression worldwide.

The project’s website offers additional resources, a glossary of technical terms, and illustrated explanations of how the internet and online censorship work.

The study was produced by ChinaFile with funding support from the Open Technology Fund (OTF) and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.