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Q: Do you think Snowden is a likely reason why China is increasing control over the Internet?
Blocking VPNs, requiring iphones to pass government inspections before being sold in China, targeting Microsoft and mandating government agencies to replace Windows with Chinese operating systems, I can see the revelations revealed by Snowden as a likely reason for all these happenings. It really makes life worse in China.
9 years 13 weeks ago in Web & Technology - China
I don't think it's have anything to do with Snowden, at all. Countries spy each other, it's not new at all. What Snowden "revealed" is the extent to which USA government spies on its own population. We can debate about whether spying at home is ok or not, that's not the point here.
The current increase on control on Internet is more about a paranoia about anything that look or smell foreign : ideas, informations, etc. In China, the idea that troubles and problems comes mostly from outside is deeply anchored, and cultivated. I won't go into a history debate (gnagna 1860, foreign invasions gnagnagna) either. There is a strong will to fight a civil society, and to keep things top-down. Information, from news to historical interpretations have to be in line to political power. Since what is on the Internet is not controllable, you gotta control the access to Internet, this kind of logic. It have a nice side effect : you can give a disadvantage to foreign companies against local companies. One stone, two birds knocked down, what not to like ? Snowden is just a cherry on the cake for the argument list in favor of control : see, when we say foreign is dangerous, we have a glaring example.
hi2u:
Actually besides revealing the extent to which the US government was spying on its own people, wasn't part of what Snowden revealed the extent to which the US government was spying on the leaders of other European countries? Surely China could have taken a hint from this and decided to clamp down on foreign technology in China.
DrMonkey:
"could have taken a hint from this and decided to clamp down"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/29/us-china-qualcomm-idUSKBN0K702C20141229
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2159500/china-accuses-cisco-of-supporting-us-cyberwar-efforts.html
Qualcomm and Cisco are major companies in networking equipments. Huawei says xie xie Xi ^^
hi2u:
So what do you think is the reason for China investigating Qualcomm and lowering the royalty fees? That article doesn't specify. And Cisco was investigated largely because of the information leaked by Snowden. Which is why I suspect Snowden is partly to blame for the changes going on with the Internet and foreign technology in China right now. Or do you think Snowden is just the scapegoat for the changes that China was planning all along?
DrMonkey:
Why Qualcomm & Cisco are being investigated => They might have broken some rules, and laws applies to any company. The problem with justice in China, it's that laws are fare more scrupulously applied to foreign companies than national companies. Foreign companies have to cope with the law (no problem with that) while national companies get away with far more lenient standarts. I don't make up that
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2014/12/chinas-foreign-company-double-standard.html
I don't think Snowden was planned, he just happened. He is not purely a scapegoat, I think what he revealed is genuine, and not very surprising. However, this is used to justify a lot of things a bit too quickly for my own taste. You just have to shout Snowden, and it's magic, no need for analysis, fact checking and comparisons. If it wasn't for Snowden, going after Cisco would happen anyway. An other justification for this : Huawei lost some markets because it's accused to put backdoors in its devices, therefore I feel legitimate to look after Cisco and Qualcomm.
Snowden is just a tool. Every developed nation in the world knows that they are spied on and technology is used to that end. Snowden just put it out there for everyone to know and to embarrass the USA. Nothing new. Governments spy on their citizens. Governments spy on other givernments. It is nothing new or shocking. I just hope Snowden is enjoying his life in the home of the old bear and his toothless grin.
I personally can live with people spying on me. My government has done it since the day I was born. It never bothers me. I have nothing to fear or hide from.
I don't think it's have anything to do with Snowden, at all. Countries spy each other, it's not new at all. What Snowden "revealed" is the extent to which USA government spies on its own population. We can debate about whether spying at home is ok or not, that's not the point here.
The current increase on control on Internet is more about a paranoia about anything that look or smell foreign : ideas, informations, etc. In China, the idea that troubles and problems comes mostly from outside is deeply anchored, and cultivated. I won't go into a history debate (gnagna 1860, foreign invasions gnagnagna) either. There is a strong will to fight a civil society, and to keep things top-down. Information, from news to historical interpretations have to be in line to political power. Since what is on the Internet is not controllable, you gotta control the access to Internet, this kind of logic. It have a nice side effect : you can give a disadvantage to foreign companies against local companies. One stone, two birds knocked down, what not to like ? Snowden is just a cherry on the cake for the argument list in favor of control : see, when we say foreign is dangerous, we have a glaring example.
hi2u:
Actually besides revealing the extent to which the US government was spying on its own people, wasn't part of what Snowden revealed the extent to which the US government was spying on the leaders of other European countries? Surely China could have taken a hint from this and decided to clamp down on foreign technology in China.
DrMonkey:
"could have taken a hint from this and decided to clamp down"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/29/us-china-qualcomm-idUSKBN0K702C20141229
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2159500/china-accuses-cisco-of-supporting-us-cyberwar-efforts.html
Qualcomm and Cisco are major companies in networking equipments. Huawei says xie xie Xi ^^
hi2u:
So what do you think is the reason for China investigating Qualcomm and lowering the royalty fees? That article doesn't specify. And Cisco was investigated largely because of the information leaked by Snowden. Which is why I suspect Snowden is partly to blame for the changes going on with the Internet and foreign technology in China right now. Or do you think Snowden is just the scapegoat for the changes that China was planning all along?
DrMonkey:
Why Qualcomm & Cisco are being investigated => They might have broken some rules, and laws applies to any company. The problem with justice in China, it's that laws are fare more scrupulously applied to foreign companies than national companies. Foreign companies have to cope with the law (no problem with that) while national companies get away with far more lenient standarts. I don't make up that
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2014/12/chinas-foreign-company-double-standard.html
I don't think Snowden was planned, he just happened. He is not purely a scapegoat, I think what he revealed is genuine, and not very surprising. However, this is used to justify a lot of things a bit too quickly for my own taste. You just have to shout Snowden, and it's magic, no need for analysis, fact checking and comparisons. If it wasn't for Snowden, going after Cisco would happen anyway. An other justification for this : Huawei lost some markets because it's accused to put backdoors in its devices, therefore I feel legitimate to look after Cisco and Qualcomm.
What kind of dumb question is this? China has been blocking information since 1950.
hi2u:
What kind of dumb answer is this? Keyword: increasing control
What kind of dumb question is this? China has been blocking information since 1950.
What kind of dumb question is this? China has been blocking information since 1950.
Snowden's leaks show the extent of spying in China. The CCP would be super-retardeded not to make the changes they did.
