The online censorship program in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is one of the most advanced systems in the world today. More than sixty different regulations have been made by the PRC and complete compliance is expected. Most corporations operating out of China agree to a self censorship, which they implement on all their servers, in order to gain the trust of the Chinese government. Most censorship is done in an attempt to neutralize any critical opinions against China or any of their practices. More than 30,000 people are employed by the PRC in order to monitor and block any information that does not agree with their censorship agenda. In fact, the system is so advanced that all critical comments regarding the Chinese government (even those appearing in personal blogs and forums) are generally erased within moments.

According to Amnesty International, an advocate for human rights, the government not only blocks and censors, but monitors the online activity of individuals as well. China currently has the largest number of imprisoned journalists in the world. Those imprisoned are accused of communicating with other countries, calling for reform, and exposing Chinese corruption. In an attempt to keep some open communications with China, many United States companies have agreed to self-censorship. Some companies have stated that this was a better choice than pulling out of China altogether. Some of the companies involved in self-censorship include Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Yahoo, and others. The reasoning of these companies is quoted as being for the good of the Chinese population by allowing them internet access, although many are disappointed at the level of self censorship involved. Microsoft, for example, launched a portal in China that automatically blocks any use of words such as ‘freedom’ in the text of blogs. Yahoo, involved in far worse offenses, admitted to disclosing personal email information of journalist Shi Tao to government officials of China. Shi Tao was a peaceful activist who was simply reporting Chinese activities. Yahoo’s contribution to the Chinese government resulted in a 10 year prison sentence for Shi Tao. This type of activity clearly violates China's own constitution as well as freedom of information across borders, which is an international law. More information can be found by accessing the links and resources listed below.

Internet Companies Assisting Censorship in China: Internet Censorship in China Banned Keywords and Websites