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This dissertation, A Technical Analysis of China's Internet Censorship by Guangchao, Feng, 馮廣超, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled A Technical Analysis of China's Internet Censorship Submitted by Guangchao Feng for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in December 2007 While China's Internet population, now the second largest in the world, poses a political challenge for Chinese leaders, the importance of the Internet to economic development means curbs on the Internet use are not so straightforward. While the Chinese government sees controls as necessary, they also recognize the Internet's role in economic growth. Though many scholars have noted that the Chinese Internet is centralized and hierarchical, few have attempted primary research on the workings of China's Internet censorship system, particularly from the technical point of view. Instead, most studies have assumed the hierarchical nature of controls and focused narrowly on the blocking of Websites and key terms regarded as politically sensitive by Internet censors. 1This thesis relies on technical testing, in particular the tracing of how testers are routed to each of 23 websites in Chinese 14 cities. By using this method, I establish the use of diverse and sophisticated multi-level filtering techniques, as well as hierarchical controls, by Chinese authorities to coordinate the blockage of Internet access in China. My research shows furthermore that China's Internet blocking mechanisms change frequently. They are dynamic in response to changing situations, and may change for different operators and regions. This thesis also concludes however that the effect of China's Internet censorship remains limited. The goal of blocking all Chinese people from accessing all foreign websites has not yet achieved. Most well educated Chinese people can use various effective means to circumvent the Internet control. China's Internet censorship comes with various side effects for China, having negative influence on better Internet business development and network performance, innovation and creativity and social responsibility among young people. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3970728 Subjects: Internet - Censorship - China

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