China is making the internet less free, and US tech companies are helping
China’s restrictive internet policies are being actively exported around the world, according to a new report by nonprofit organization Freedom House published yesterday. Freedom House, a bipartisan think tank funded primarily by the US government, says that China’s “digital authoritarianism” could threaten democracies in other countries.
It’s the fourth year in a row that Freedom House has ranked China at the bottom for internet freedom. But at the same time that China’s internet remains a walled garden, companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google are eagerly eyeing partnerships with Chinese businesses and increased expansion into the country. By not opposing China’s censorship policies directly and continuing to embrace the country, US tech companies are arguably legitimizing this restricted version of the internet that other countries are looking up to, Freedom House argues.
Even beyond Silicon Valley, China’s tech relationships extend far and wide. Uganda, Tanzania, and Vietnam have all consulted with China on cybersecurity measures. China also provides internet equipment and AI systems to a number of countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang denied the report’s claimsto Reuters and called them “unprofessional and irresponsible.”
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