I recently watched a CIA promotional video aimed at encouraging Chinese insiders to provide sensitive information. Haha, I never thought they would use that kind of approach to attract “talent.” What actually caught my attention was the part explaining how people in China could get in touch with the CIA, including a step that involved bypassing internet restrictions.
For people who have grown up in a “free internet” environment, the idea that hundreds of millions of people cannot access Google or YouTube is almost inconceivable. But as someone who grew up abroad and has lived in China, this isn’t just a reality—it’s a fascinating collision of different worlds.
I don’t intend to criticize or take sides here. I just want to talk about the reality I’ve seen through my own eyes.
1. The “Digital Blackout”: What does it actually feel like? #
I remember clearly that around 2012, Google and YouTube were still accessible in China. I was young then and didn’t think much of it. But when I returned years later, the world had changed.
For someone like me, who views Facebook and Google as basic life infrastructure, the moment I stepped back into the country, my phone felt like an expensive “brick”. The maps you’re used to won’t navigate, your favorite video apps won’t load, and your browser for searching info just returns “404 Error”.
However, I soon realized that a country this massive would never allow its people to be truly disconnected from the world. This demand gave rise to a shadow industry that supports the “cyber-life” of millions: VPNs.
2. VPNs: The Open Secret #
On paper, using a VPN is “non-compliant.” Selling or even using one can technically get you “invited for tea” by the police (被请去喝茶). But in reality, the number of people using these tools is far higher than you might imagine.
Young people today are all too familiar with Instagram and YouTube.
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A Silent Boundary: While the laws exist, there’s a sort of unspoken rule: as long as you aren’t causing trouble, spreading sensitive rumors, or touching “forbidden” topics, no one is really going to bother you just for watching videos or scrolling through social media.
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Backdoors and Monitoring: There’s a lot of talk about domestic VPNs having “backdoors.” Honestly, I don’t worry about it too much. I only stay in China for a few months at a time, and I just use it to keep in touch with friends abroad. I’m not exactly a “sensitive person.”
That said, if you are truly concerned about privacy, I’d suggest using tools developed by overseas companies. I won’t name names here—if you know, you know.
3. The Gamers’ Loophole: “Accelerators” #
Interestingly, while Steam’s community pages often hit a 404, China remains a titan in the global gaming market. This is thanks to a magical thing called a “Game Accelerator” (加速器).
Many people confuse VPNs with Accelerators, but they are quite different:
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VPNs act as a total tunnel for your entire network, giving you broad access.
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Accelerators are more like a “specialized courier service.” They only optimize the connection for specific game servers and don’t change your permissions for general browsing.
As long as you have an accelerator open, you can play global games with no issues. Consequently, the “Wall” doesn’t actually affect the average gamer that much.
4. A Different Angle: Is the Wall a “Protective Umbrella”? #
I used to find the GFW incredibly annoying, but in recent years, my perspective has shifted.
Imagine if, over the last twenty years, Silicon Valley giants (Google, Meta, Amazon) had been allowed to run wild in China. Would we still see the rise of Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, or ByteDance? They likely would have been swallowed up by the global giants before they could even find their footing.
It’s somewhat ironic to see Western countries now building their own versions of “walls”—restricting Chinese EVs or banning specific apps from their markets. At the end of the day, everyone is just protecting their own backyard; the methods are just different.
5. Final Thoughts #
Lastly, I think the “Wall” has brought some unintended side effects.
Ten or fifteen years ago, average education levels were varied, and it was perhaps easier for people to be swayed by unverified information. Today, the wall acts as a natural filtering mechanism: those who are motivated and capable enough to “climb the wall” usually possess a certain level of technical skill, education, and independent thought. The government doesn’t seem overly worried about this group being “brainwashed.”
Everything has two sides. Most people aren’t that interested in politics anyway; as long as they have high-quality domestic alternatives like Douyin (TikTok) or Xiaohongshu (Red Note), they are perfectly content.
Even in the EU, we see similar blocks on certain media outlets, just with different focuses. Every country has its own way of managing things. In China, it just happens to have created a very unique “VPN industry.”