China Tightens Internet Controls

AP: China cracks down on tools used to get around web filters

China is beefing up a campaign to root out services that circumvent the government's internet censorship with a 14-month-long "clean-up" of the internet industry.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a directive that it forbids the operation of virtual private networks (VPNs) or leased lines that allow users and businesses to access blocked overseas websites without government permission.

It sounds like it is aimed at domestic companies offering services on the sly to Chinese customers. Unclear if this will be a sustained policy, or another instance of a temporary crackdown followed by a return to normal.