Internet Development and Information Control in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

Since its founding in 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has exerted
\ngreat effort in manipulating the flow of information and prohibiting the dissemination
\nof viewpoints that criticize the government or stray from the official Communist
\nparty view. The introduction of Internet technology in the mid-1990’s presented a
\nchallenge to government control over news sources, and by extension, over public
\nopinion. While the Internet has developed rapidly, broadened access to news, and
\nfacilitated mass communications in China, many forms of expression online, as in
\nother mass media, are still significantly stifled. This report discusses the history of this issue and examines the U.S.'s response.