Online censorship in China

[MoneyGuy]

I thought this should go here instead of in the tech forum, but it can be moved.

We're going to China and I was wondering how their censorship of online activity will impair my ability to keep in touch with the outside world. I think email is OK (I think they scan for unacceptable words), but I believe that it will be difficult or impossible to properly use google or news sites.

To anyone who has been there or knows, what can I expect?

[PsYcNeT]

Was in Tianjin and Beijing about 2 months ago.

Facebook is right out. Can't access it without a proxy, and using a proxy puts you at risk of being denied entry back into the country at a later date, though I don't know anyone personally who had this happen.

Google is hit or miss. It *usually* works, as do most of the sub-Google things (Play, Drive, GMail, etc), but sometimes gets whacked out for a few minutes by the Great Firewall. The whole "can't search for things on Google in China" thing is crap as well, Google from what I saw is uncensored (in English anyway).

YouTube does not work at all.

Steam barely works.

Origin does not work.

CP works

Most news sites work, but smaller things like Blogspot, or Blogger.com (or any affiliated sites) do not.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I thought this should go here instead of in the tech forum, but it can be moved.

We're going to China and I was wondering how their censorship of online activity will impair my ability to keep in touch with the outside world. I think email is OK (I think they scan for unacceptable words), but I believe that it will be difficult or impossible to properly use google or news sites.

To anyone who has been there or knows, what can I expect?

Some websites were not accessible, but their respective smartphone apps could access them fine - i.e. Facebook and news sites like CNN, CBC, etc. Maybe somebody could explain that. I had no problems with email. Google works, but you're re-directed to the Chinese one, which is adequate. If it's too much of a problem, there are proxy servers that can used.

I would be very wary of wifi hot spots, just take careful note of the one that your hotel has set up (if even that can be trusted). I had my cc info stolen when I (I assume) tried to pay a bill online while at my hotel.