A programmer in northern China has been ordered to pay more than 1 million yuan to the authorities for using a virtual private network (VPN), in what is thought to be the most severe individual financial penalty ever issued for circumventing China’s “great firewall.” The programmer, surnamed Ma, was issued with a penalty notice by the public security bureau of Chengde, a city in Hebei province, on August 18. The notice said Ma had used “unauthorised channels” to connect to international networks to work for a Turkish company. The police confiscated the 1.058m yuan ($145,092) Ma had earned as a software developer between September 2019 and November 2022, describing it as “illegal income,” as well as fining him 200 yuan ($27).

Charlie Smith (a pseudonym), the co-founder of GreatFire.org, a website that tracks internet censorship in China, said: “Even if this decision is overturned in court, a message has been sent and damage has been done. Is doing business outside of China now subject to penalties?”

Abstract credit: https://slashdot.org/story/420019

  • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    it wasn’t because he used a VPN, it was because his income was illegal. It’s just that using a VPN is what made the income illegal

    He didn’t die from being shot, it’s just that all of his blood leaked out of the otherwise harmless bullet hole

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      In fact, the Chinese government probably says his existence didn’t happen and that anyone with memories of him should seek help with a state doctor