Surveillance step-up blamed for email disruption
19 July 2007
Recent disruption to cross-border email traffic has been blamed by users and company officers on adjustments to China's internet surveillance system, Reuters reported. "At first we thought this was our problem ... but after investigations, we are certain it is related to China's great firewall," said Richard Ford, technical director of Beijing-based IT company Candis Group. Chinese internet service providers including 263.com and Sina warned users of problems at the "international gateway". Meanwhile, an executive at a Shanghai-based media company said email service managers had advised using local emails as a "new firewall system" was being installed at China Telecom and China Netcom. It was suggested that the authorities want to intensify monitoring in the run-up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Urumqi, the capital of the northwestern Xinjiang region, in August.