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Facebook Blocked in China
This doesn't bode well for 08.08.08 and beyond: just a few weeks after launching its service in China, Facebook has been blocked.
As of 4:26pm EST, are any NowPublic members in China able to access it?
Danwei readers in Beijing reported earlier today that Facebook seemed to be blocked. It was accessible in Shanghai this afternoon, but now seems to be blocked nationwide.
Technical glitch? Government crackdown? As always with the Web in China, it’s very hard to say. Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. China’s censors don’t discuss which sites they target – or, for that matter, the fact that they block sites at all. And enforcement often varies between regions and even between Internet service providers. Indeed, users in at least some other parts of the country were able to access Facebook Tuesday, even as some in Beijing couldn’t.Experts say the mystery behind China’s methods are part of the system’s sophistication. While in some countries, users are notified when they are trying to access blocked content, Web surfers in China get connection “timeout” or “reset” messages, which might seem like a common computer error. In addition, sites aren’t always entirely blocked; for example, Facebook’s homepage was blocked for some yesterday, but users could access other parts of its site if they logged in through other URLs. English-language Wikipedia, once widely blocked, is more accessible these days, but repeated clicks on a link to Wikipedia page about a taboo subject matter will cause a browser to be locked out of the entire site for several minutes or longer (Chinese Wikipedia reportedly can only be accessed through secure connections) . Yahoo’s photo-sharing site Flickr is mostly accessible, but users in China have to add complimentary software to their browser to make sure they can access all their photos.




Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (22)
at 12:36 on July 2nd, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 12:39 on July 2nd, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff. Not really a smart move. Blocking something like Facebook will just encourage unwanted attention on this whole subject on China's part.
at 13:00 on July 2nd, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Interesting how facebook was singled out. I wonder how the other Chinese social networking sites are able to operate within 'The Great Firewall".
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shielyat 03:50 on July 8th, 2009
yes, that's too bad. Indeed, it was really blocked yesterday. So does anybody know that how long it takes ? Will it be like youtube to have been blocked for such a long time?
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shielyat 03:51 on July 8th, 2009
yes, that's too bad. Indeed, it was really blocked yesterday. So does anybody know that how long it takes ? Will it be like youtube to have been blocked for such a long time?
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nobitchassness (not verified)at 18:12 on July 8th, 2009
WTF
I WANT TO GO ON FACEBOOK!!!
IM SUPPOSED TO GET LAID WHEN I GO BACK TO DA STATES!!
NOW DA CHICK THINKS I DITCHED HER
FKIN CHINA FK
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anonymous1991 (not verified)at 02:21 on July 10th, 2009
I absolutely cannot stand this. No government should be allowed to do this. I'm only in China for the summer and keeping in touch with my friends is extremely important to me; honestly they have no right.
Does anyone know if this block is permanent? I still have 4 weeks left here, I don't think I'll be able to stand it.
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bleh (not verified)at 05:30 on July 12th, 2009
Ugh, same thing here. I'm visiting China for the summer and I'm going back to the States in August. Now Facebook is blocked, which means I can't really keep in touch with my friends either. Seriously, the Chinese government is really starting to get on my nerves >.>"
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Xin Yue Zheng (not verified)at 08:10 on July 10th, 2009
Yep truly. I could login on 7th July, and it worked well, but i was too tired so i didnt reply to my friends.
The second day, one of my friend said it was blocked. Damn, due to Xin Jiang? Feel so shit that i still get the system mails from facebook, but all i can do is nothing! Shit!
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Tangatang (not verified)at 09:31 on July 10th, 2009
Yeap, it's blocked here in Beijing too.
:(
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feng li (not verified)at 03:28 on July 11th, 2009
I don't understand why china goverment have to block facebook?? don't they know that it is important for foreigner who lives in china??? we need to keep in touch with our friends !!!
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Simon Tilley (not verified)at 22:38 on July 12th, 2009
Facebook is blocked, why? The telephones still work! I have nothing to do now. I'm going out to beat up a muslim.
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Dachink (not verified)at 09:31 on July 14th, 2009
by using a different proxy will allow u guys to access facebook. write mails and look at pictures of friends. But u cant upload pictures urself, and if ur having trouble clicking next while ur looking at pics, just click back to album....the next button is not going to work. Hope it helps, now could ne1 tell me how to upload pics, dat wuld be a GREAT successs!!!
http://www.kortaz.com/
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chimpy (not verified)at 05:37 on July 15th, 2009
hwy don't you just use a proxy forwarder?
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JC XC (not verified)at 00:06 on July 16th, 2009
fuck china. they blocked facebook because there is this fucking shit war in this xingjiang area of china they want to be seperated from china and be a independant country itself just like taiwan. The xingjiang people are causing riots and over two hundred ppl died already. Then they blocked off shit like google, facebook, and youtube so that ppl can't spread the news of what's happening in china. What the fuck I bet half the ppl don't in the U.S dont even know what xing jiang is and I don't think they fucking care! I want to use facebook! Fuck the Chinese government. I'm stuck here in China and can't use facebook! I have a friend that just went back to the states I'm suppose to get his contact information on facebook and then just like that facebook got blocked. What the FUCK!
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JC XC (not verified)at 00:07 on July 16th, 2009
Also Proxy forwarders don't work here in China. Most are blocked!
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OMG (not verified)at 06:41 on July 16th, 2009
Literaly, what is China thinking? Facebook is worldwide, so is youtube. It's just making things harder. Where the hell am i suppose to watch videos? They expect me to go to things like Tudou or Youku which dont have the things i want? FUCK this.
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giggles (not verified)at 05:10 on July 21st, 2009
fuck to that CHINA government!!! i;m a chinese myself but not from China of course, ashamed to associate with 'chinese' sometimes... very fuck-up place!.. blocking a 'lifestyle' is not goin' to work.. stupid communism country!!! can someone give an idea when does FB gonna be up? for those government division who responsible for blocking all those websites, probally in beijing, go to hell, fuck you all!!
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leon25 (not verified)at 03:29 on August 3rd, 2009
100% agree. Chinese gov doing things this way can only make them cowards
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bookface (not verified)at 03:24 on August 3rd, 2009
fuckin chinese gov!!!! i still have like shet load of things to reply on fb!!!!!! im chinese, n im ashamed of this piece of fucking shit hole..... if they want their war, stop shitting ur war on our face!!!!ya think blocking us can really keep the outsiders from knowing shit in china??fucking pussy!! im losing friends in canada now!!!
hey buddies.... if ya find any some other ways to get on facebook all of u post it in ur comments....i would b very very thankful. thanks
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noneof yourbusiness (not verified)at 22:28 on August 7th, 2009
this is so fucked up,
i cant stand without facebook
but i did try getting on facebook with hotspot shield , and it works, BUT ITS SO SLOW.
so i quit using it,
THIS IS JUST SOME BULLSHIT,
WTF,... I HEARD THE GOVERMENT BLOCKED FB FOR SOME POSTT,
I MEAN LIKE YOU CAN BLOCK THE POST OR SOMETHING !?
YOU DIDNT HAVE TO BLOCK THE WHOLE WEBSITE, BLOCKING THE WEBSITE
EFFECTS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
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noneof yourbusiness (not verified)at 22:28 on August 7th, 2009
this is so fucked up,
i cant stand without facebook
but i did try getting on facebook with hotspot shield , and it works, BUT ITS SO SLOW.
so i quit using it,
THIS IS JUST SOME BULLSHIT,
WTF,... I HEARD THE GOVERMENT BLOCKED FB FOR SOME POSTT,
I MEAN LIKE YOU CAN BLOCK THE POST OR SOMETHING !?
YOU DIDNT HAVE TO BLOCK THE WHOLE WEBSITE, BLOCKING THE WEBSITE
EFFECTS A LOT OF PEOPLE.