China has long had some of the world’s most onerous Internet restrictions. But until now, the authorities had effectively tolerated the proliferation of virtual private networks, or V.P.N.s, as a lifeline for millions of people, from archaeologists to foreign investors, who rely heavily on less-fettered access to the Internet. Now, after a number of V.P.N. companies, including StrongVPN and Golden Frog, complained that the Chinese government had disrupted their services with unprecedented sophistication, a senior official for the first time acknowledged its hand in the attacks and implicitly promised more of the same.
- Read the article: The New York Times
