Beijing has launched a 14-month nationwide campaign against unauthorised internet connections, including virtual private network (VPN) services, which allow users to bypass the country’s infamous “Great Firewall”. A notice released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Sunday said that all special cable and VPN services on the mainland needed to obtain prior government approval
![China tightens Great Firewall, outlawing unauthorised VPNs](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/b6524a543817f44e46b1b2d1d247cf20ba2dc76c/height=288;version=1;width=512/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.i-scmp.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fog_image_scmp_generic%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fmethode%2F2017%2F01%2F23%2F241d7488-e12a-11e6-8801-9f557f980a64_image_hires.jpg%3Fitok%3DadumdiiO%26v%3D1485185163)