The Chinese Communist Party continues to intensify its efforts to suppress online speech. Recently, in the cities of Ezhou and Xiaogan in Hubei Province, on the same day, there were coordinated actions against ordinary netizens who bypassed the internet blockade using VPNs (virtual private networks). The police not only raided homes to search but also publicly announced the amount of fines imposed, attempting to further restrict the spread of truth through terror tactics. This move by the authorities has sparked public outrage.
According to the documents disclosed on the Hubei Public Security Law Enforcement Platform, on March 11th, a man named Xu in Ezhou was penalized by the Liangzihu District Public Security Bureau just for using a Huawei-owned Honor phone with a VPN app called “Clash” to access overseas platforms like TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter), which are blocked by the Chinese Communist Party.
A human rights activist in Hubei using the alias Zhang Yiming told reporters, “We usually access X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook for domestic news, also reading Epoch Times; previously, we listened to Radio Free Asia. If internet users use domestic phones for VPN, they will be discovered at any time. I suggest not using domestic phones, as they are too insecure.”
The administrative penalty decision issued by the Liangzihu District Branch of the Ezhou Public Security Bureau stated that Xu’s actions were classified as “illegally accessing the internet internationally.” Based on the “Interim Regulations on the Administration of International Networking of Computer Information Networks” of the Chinese Communist Party, this citizen was fined 200 yuan and forced to stop accessing the internet.
Zhang Yiming noted from the legal texts that cases of “unauthorized international networking” have always existed, but the frequency of enforcement against ordinary netizens is increasing, indicating a greater grassroots enforcement effort. He also mentioned a trend of younger individuals using VPNs, saying, “I found a high school student neighbor with a VPN on his phone. When I asked what he was watching, he said how exciting the outside world is. In the past, high school students only played games and didn’t care about current affairs.”
On the same day, Xiaogan city’s enforcement methods were even more violent. The Xianhua Police Station in Xiaonan District deployed over ten police officers for a “focused operation” at a residence on Changzheng South Road, appearing as if handling a major criminal case.
According to the enforcement documents, the police officers stormed into the residence and apprehended a netizen accessing overseas websites using a VPN. The charge given was “illegally registering and using VPN software,” resulting in a 500 yuan fine.
Critics questioned why the Chinese Communist Party mobilized over ten police officers to forcibly enter the home of an unarmed individual simply seeking information from the outside world, suggesting this action exposes the regime’s extreme fear of VPN usage.
Scholars like Wei Fenglian, who focus on China’s internet censorship system, stated during an interview that in the past, the Chinese Communist Party often turned a blind eye or issued verbal warnings to individuals using VPNs. However, recent cases in Hubei indicate a tightening grip at the grassroots level, shifting from a situation where unauthorized internet activity could be overlooked to actively arresting and fining individuals, reflecting growing fear among authorities, particularly concerning young people’s exposure to external information.
Internet engineer Mr. Li believed that deploying over ten police officers to arrest individuals at home is “extremely rare.” He suggested that beyond imposing fines, this action serves as a form of political intimidation, instilling fear among the general public through public announcements, making them hesitate to engage with any information not sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party.
In January of this year, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security released the controversial draft of the “Network Crime Prevention Law,” aiming to completely sever ties between netizens and foreign entities on a technical and financial level. This move has sparked anger among some internet users, with comments such as, “Before, they built walls to block the truth; now, they are directly entering homes to arrest those seeking the truth.” The increasing number of prisons and higher walls show how weak this regime has become, fearing a few tweets.
Some analysts believe that as the “Network Crime Prevention Law” progresses, the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to confine China’s internet space, aiming to lock 1.4 billion people inside an information prison. This crackdown in Hubei may serve as a precursor to a nationwide campaign of persecution against netizens.