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Freegate Update Released as National Day Approaches
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Epoch Times Staff Nov 24, 2011
U.S-based Dynamic Internet Technology (DIT) launched more powerful anti-Internet censorship software on Sept. 22, partially as a response to the Chinese regime’s intensified Internet censorship and surveillance before the upcoming National Day celebration.
Netizens trying to visit overseas Web sites have recently found it more and more difficult to break through regime-backed blocks and filters. Moreover, Chinese netizens are being pressured to use real names to register Internet accounts and e-mail addresses.
Recently, in an unprecedented measure, the regime quietly instructed Internet service providers to start using Blue Dam, a server-side version of China’s much-disparaged Green Dam Internet filtering and monitoring software.
Dynamic Internet Technology, founded by IT experts connected through their practicing Falun Gong, works to help Chinese netizens circumvent regime censorship. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice currently persecuted in China; adherents are denied a voice within the mainland.
Bill Xia, CEO of DIT told The Epoch Times on Sept. 22, “During politically sensitive periods, the Chinese regime always reinforces Internet censorship and surveillance, and makes it more difficult for Internet users to visit overseas Web sites. However, we always adopt different approaches and update our software to get around it.”
The latest version DIT's software, FreeGate 6.89, has been enhanced to break through the increased censorship.
Messages of gratitude were quickly posted by Chinese bloggers.
Someone identified as “stevenren” wrote: “Recently the blockade has just been crazy. However, by using Tor, the Lotus Internet browser, and FreeGate 6.88, I was still able to surf the net, although at a slower speed. Thanks to the hard work of [FreeGate]’s experts.”
Another message read, “Good, good, good! Finally a big lifeline was thrown at me. You are the true liberation army.”
The Internet has become a powerful tool for spreading information to the Chinese public, and the Global Internet Freedom Consortium has taken the lead in developing software to break China’s Internet Firewall.
China is reported to have the world’s largest population of Internet users—340 million, with 100 million blogs. The Global Internet Freedom Consortium says it will keep developing software to service this population as long as there is a need.