# In practice, is it dangerous to bypass Internet censorship filters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604 "2008-03-24T22:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/1 "2008-03-24T22:23:15Z")
I’m aware that a significant minority of national governments, China being among the most prominent in this Olympic year, use so-called “net nannies” to keep their people from reading, watching or hearing political viewpoints which would endanger the ruling party’s hold on the throne. I’ve recently been made aware that there are quite a few reliable methods to circumvent such censorship. My question is, does circumventing government Internet censorship tend to put your life in danger? Are people thrown in jail for using these systems? Are people hanged for it? How much does this vary from one country to another, and why? ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/2 "2008-03-25T01:05:19Z")
This article from [The Atlantic Monthly](http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/chinese-firewall) indicates that in China, at least, there’s no huge danger of being hanged. The point is just to make looking up dangerous stuff enough of a pain that not many people will go to the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/3 "2008-03-25T02:23:18Z")
Throne? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/4 "2008-03-25T03:00:01Z")
no ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/5 "2008-03-25T04:18:48Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Throne? [/QUOTE] What, you’ve never heard of a metaphor? 😉 > [@Chrisbooth12](#): > > no OK…can you answer any of the other questions in the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/6 "2008-03-25T19:30:54Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] My question is, does circumventing government Internet censorship tend to put your life in danger? Are people thrown in jail for using these systems? [/QUOTE] More information at [Internet Censorship: Law & policy around the world](http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens3.html#sau) [Saudi Rules](http://www.al-bab.com/media/docs/saudi.htm) China has capital punishment for sending some info over 'Net but don’t know if it can apply to getting around filters. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-practice-is-it-dangerous-to-bypass-internet-censorship-filters/442604/7 "2008-03-25T21:26:43Z")
I can find no laws against bypassing the filter itself. However punishments exist for possesing certain content obtained over the Internet, even in the US.