Leaked Geedge files unmask China's global censorship machinery

Beijing [China] September 17 (ANI): A massive leak of over 100,000 documents has exposed China's Geedge Networks, a company allegedly supplying censorship and surveillance tools to governments globally, reported by The Epoch Times.

The exposure highlights China's influence in exporting digital authoritarianism, sparking debates on cybersecurity, human rights, and global internet governance.

Geedge, founded by Fang Binxing, known as the "Father of China's Great Firewall," has contracts with countries like Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and authorities in Xinjiang, a region criticised for heavy surveillance and human rights issues.

According to The Epoch Times, Bill Xia, president of Dynamic Internet Technology (DIT), stated that the release of the documents was intentional and likely originated from within the company, aiding authoritarian regimes in controlling online content and monitoring citizens.

Founded in 2001, Xia's DIT is known for developing Freegate and other software that allows Chinese internet users to bypass the Great Firewall. He described the leak as a "devastating" blow to Geedge, predicting it would erode trust among employees and reveal sensitive internal practices.

Leaked files show Geedge's attempts to reverse-engineer circumvention tools and deploy deep packet inspection (DPI) technologies. The leak raises concerns about the global spread of digital repression and its long-term consequences for online freedoms.

The leaked records include correspondence, meeting notes, technical blueprints of products, reimbursement systems, and personnel information. Researchers at InterSecLab, who analysed the data, confirmed Geedge's contracts with governments in Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and one unnamed country. The company also works with authorities in Xinjiang, a region widely criticised for heavy surveillance and human rights violations.

The files expose Geedge's attempts to reverse-engineer circumvention tools, particularly those developed as open source. While open-source projects are often praised for collaboration, Xia argued they are easier for surveillance firms to dissect and block. He added that most VPNs cannot truly defeat China's Great Firewall, despite widespread belief to the contrary, since the protocols are easily restricted, as cited by The Epoch Times.

The documents, Xia stated, will help developers of internet freedom technologies better understand the mechanisms used to stifle online access. He stated that Geedge's client list highlights a consistent trend: authoritarian governments in developing nations are the main consumers of such censorship systems. "Only the Chinese Communist Party can enforce such controls while simultaneously advancing its economy," he noted.

The leak is one of the largest exposures yet of China's censorship export industry, raising questions about the global spread of digital repression and its long-term consequences for internet freedom, as reported by The Epoch Times. (ANI)

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