Reuters is now banned in China

The news websites of Reuters, including those in English and Chinese, appear to have been blocked in mainland China, as users in the country apparently had difficulty accessing the sites last night and are now completely unable to access them today. Reuters confirmed that the website was inaccessible as of Friday morning and said that the Cyberspace Administration of China has not responded to a written request for comment over the matter.

“Reuters is committed to practicing fair and accurate journalism worldwide. We recognise the great importance of news about China to all our customers, and we hope that our sites will be restored in China soon,” a Reuters spokeswoman said in an issued statement. Greatfire.com, a censor-tracking website, also confirmed that both versions of the website were blocked today in mainland China.

The reason for the block is not clear. China’s internet censorship organ often blocks new sites and services without warning, but in cases of media it often follows controversial stories. That was the case for past restrictions imposed on newspapers like The Guardian in the past, when they published political exposes prior to being blocked. However Reuters hasn’t recently put out stories that had raised red flags or covered sensitive topics.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s Internet regulator, did not immediately respond to a written request for comment by The Huffington Post.

Leave a Comment