The blocking of Gmail in Mainland China on Friday has prompted angry responses from Chinese users.
Many people noticed that their email had stopped updating on December 26, and rumours that the service had been blocked began rapidly spreading on social media over the weekend, as Google’s Transparency Report, showed a sharp drop in Gmail activity from China.
Whilst Google has been blocked for a while, Gmail was still accessible through third party applications such as the iPhone mail app or Microsoft Outlook. It seems that this loophole has been fixed however, as users began complaining on Boxing Day.
Netizens have lashed out, with one user saying that in previous years they wouldn’t have dared to block an email service; “Only after Xi Baozi came into power, did they dare have this kind of madness!”.
Gmail has over half a billion users worldwide.
Source: China Digital Times
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Keywords: Gmail blocked China
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The Chinese government sucks Kim Jung Un's balls and ass and the Chinese zombies aren't much better.
Jan 31, 2015 23:37 Report Abuse
Too many people complaining. Just get over it and switch to a Chinese email service such as qq which is infinitely better than gmail anyway (for example being able to send very large attachments and extremely fast upload rates).
Jan 04, 2015 10:07 Report Abuse
No, we cannot get over it... We are talking about Email, it's basic communication, we are not talking about other Google services here... If you handle couple of emails per day, then you're OK with any email service or even no need email at all... But for people who deal with 100+ emails per day, Gmail became essential business tool, it's faster and smoother than others, so it help us saving hours of work each day... I would gladly pay 2x money which I give to Google, if there is any other service as good as Gmail. I tried Outlook, Yahoo, QQ Mail (I'm even thinking trying iCloud although I'm Windows/Android user), but they are just not as good/fast/smooth as Gmail is... My Chinese friends & partners also tried Chinese email services, and they said the same thing... They're also pissed at government for doing this... It blocks BBC, but keep CNN, it even blocks my small European hometown's website, or some random Chinese factory which is their own! That's plain foolish and ridiculous! Back to topic - I'm living on HK-GZ route and my 2 VPN's are more and more unstable, so I tried to use QQ Mail for 1 month, since it's the only English email service in China which looks/works like Gmail (of course, since Tencent COPIED Gmail... same as Baidu copied Google), even my Chinese friends told me that QQ mail is "unsafe and censored" - I ignored it and just wanted to try... So we did try it (me and my 20+ Chinese & foreign friends) for a month, and we all came to same conclusion: it looks and works like Gmail 5-6 years ago (which is not bad at all), but for some reason (censorship?) emails with 20M+ attachments need much longer time to be "sent out", sometimes 10min or 30min or hour or more, it's inconsistent... Another problem several of us got is that, few of our emails with big attachments haven't been sent out at all (?), then we received email from QQ (???) that email was 'inappropriate' (??????) and it would not be delivered to recipient (?????????) - it was just family pictures and some harmless documents we tested... they are crazy! We really tried, we wanted to use it, but at the end we just gave up... My Chinese friends decided to switch to 163 Email, and I will change my business schedule - stay in HK as long as possible, and visit suppliers in China once a month, or only when absolutely necessary... For people using other services like Google Docs, Drive, etc... it's even worse, but that's another story, here we're talking about Email only... Please share your experience here, thanks in advance & Happy New Year. Alex
Jan 04, 2015 13:26 Report Abuse
@kuntmans: People complain about what's wrong and unfair... It's just an EMAIL, this government is way too paranoid... Can you please enlighten us why is QQemail so "infinitely" better than Gmail? I tried it and it's a Chinese copy of old Gmail, so I don't understand why it's "infinitely" better? (unless you're in love with CCP and their Internet Great Wall)
Jan 05, 2015 13:28 Report Abuse
I run a business in China. My main client uses Google and Gmail to share information with me (I am linked into their worldwide IT system). I have to use a VPN and that is becoming more and more unstable. I have invested in your country and your infrastructure. I employ Chinese nationals. If my links to the client end so does my business activity. I am sure that I am not alone. The coffin will shortly be nailed well and truly shut!
Dec 31, 2014 14:58 Report Abuse
Hey Beijing, make a note to yourself that your CCP can't fend off 1.3 Billion of your subjects. These citizens are becoming more wise and smarter everyday. Take a lesson from history, just as the bloody Brits tried to oppress the colony's in the USA, you will see that human nature won't allow being abused. You are not the great leader or great baba to these citizens. The more they see the corruption of the past and how they have been Fu#%ed by their government, they will take matters into their own hands. I would be less concerned about the defense of your country from outside sources such as the great democratic USA or South Korea. I would be more concerned about the 1.3 billion person army within China that's tired of being raped by the fat ass government Kilroy :)
Dec 31, 2014 13:29 Report Abuse
Insecurity, deeeeeeeep insecurity. People accessing not controlled informations, OMG !
Dec 31, 2014 09:12 Report Abuse
This is ridiculous... time to pony up for a very good VPN service provider for those who rely on Google! I've been using VyprVPN for the past 6 months and so far this is the only VPN service that has never failed me. Hope they keep up on updates so that those desk boys from the GFW of China will never prevail.
Dec 30, 2014 23:17 Report Abuse
Hi Eorthisio, does that GoAgent still working? I saw some comments online, seems it's not easy to set up, or cannot use https websites etc... I'm using 12VPN and PureVPN, each has good and bad days, especially as I'm always always in different city, hotel, etc... I will try GoAgent, hopefully it's not too complicated...
Jan 04, 2015 15:09 Report Abuse
This is absolutely ridiculous. China will never advance as long as this bullshit continues.
Dec 30, 2014 19:16 Report Abuse
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