Subscribe now

Technology

Florida pet spa mystery link to China's great firewall

China's censors have innovative ways of stopping its citizens accessing banned websites, including poisoning internet servers

By Richard Fisher

28 November 2012

New Scientist Default Image

Pet spa? I don’t even have a dog

(Image: Lorenzo Pesce/Contrasto/Eyevine)

WHAT does a pet grooming service in Florida have to do with Chinese internet censorship? Every day, China’s government subtly redirects swathes of its citizens to the website of a small pet spa in Miami offering beauty treatments for dogs and cats – though it is a mystery why.

Citizens attempting to access banned sites and being dispatched to strange corners of the global internet is just one of the findings to emerge from a study of China’s murky regime of internet censorship. There is also …

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 14th June 2023.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account