Access to video sharing Website, YouTube, has been blocked in China. The site has been down in China for over 24 hours. Google seems to be unaware of the reasons for the blockage and is reportedly trying to rectify the situation. According to a Google spokesperson, “YouTube is currently blocked in China. We don’t know the reason for the blockage, but are working as quickly as possible to restore access to our users in China”. Both Google and YouTube have previously been blocked in China according to the company. YouTube was also previously blocked in Thailand and Turkey. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qib Gang said that “China’s Internet is open enough, but also needs to be regulated by law in order to prevent the spread of harmful information and for national security.”
The Chinese government is not too keen on its citizens broadcasting themselves on all topics. The government is known for censorship of content it considers offensive or politically disruptive or contrary to its beliefs. The Chinese market is, however, lucrative with a population of 1.3 billion, 300 million Internet users, and 100 million blogs.
