China denies banning personal VPNs, users still not in the clear

Chinese authorities have stated that personal VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) will not be banned (in Chinese), but Facebook and Instagram addicts may not be safe yet.

After news broke out that state-run telecommunications carriers—including China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom—will block individuals from accessing VPNs by February 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) responded yesterday saying that reports from foreign media are untrue.

The Ministry stated that it has not banned personal VPN use and explained that the notice—which was issued in January this year—concerns cross-border business activities and does not include domestic and foreign enterprises as well as the majority of users.

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