We already see mass censorship of legal speech via centralization and deplatforming, particularly via Cloudflare (which continues to happily host CSAM, animal SAM, and various other genuinely illegal websites). It is the unfortunate reality that the Internet will become various internets.

I don't think that's necessary as app stores are already regional and easy to put additional restrictions on, and desktop internet usage is slowly being overtaken by app usage. And who knows, maybe even Windows 15 will only allow software downloaded through Safe and Verified(tm) app stores.

> China proved the Great Firewall was possible.

Technologically? Maybe. Practically? I'm posting this while using uncensored Internet from within China, and not because I'm going out of my way to evade any blocking.

The GFW is more like the government put out an umbrella, but nothing is really forcing anyone to stand under it. Five steps and you're out. No doubt they could change that tomorrow if they so wished, but there are hurdles other than technical ones.

In my case I'm simply roaming using my German SIM-card, but plenty of VPNs would work too. They can detect and block these and do with certain ones, but for many they just... don't.

Isn't it the case that foreigners can just apply to be exempted from the GFW? I remember people mentioning that to me online in the 2010s who were semi-long term living in China.

I've never heard of such a thing. Businesses maybe and not residential? Businesses getting a carve-out for their network would be pretty standard.

Interesting though, I'll ask around.

The way I heard it was individuals could apply too with a valid reason and one guy I knew online several years ago said “I’m a foreigner who wants to access my own country’s internet” was a valid reason. May have changed since Covid for all I know he left around that time.