Chinese Internet users have long criticized the use of the Great Firewall to block access to foreign sites. The system's creator was heavily mocked online when he himself got blocked by it. (Photo : Getty Images)
In what many observers are calling as an ironic turn of events, the creator of China's infamous "Great Firewall" censorship system ended up having to bypass it in public.
The incident happened during Chinese computer expert Fang Binxing's talk on Internet security at the Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang Province. During his talk, Fang tried to access a South Korean website to serve as a demonstration of another country that supposedly imposes the same Internet censorship as China.
However, he was promptly blocked by the system from accessing the site and was redirected to a Hong Kong-based website. Fang was then forced to use a virtual private network (VPN) in view of the attending audience to re-access the site and complete his demonstration, the BBC reported.
VPNs are heavily regulated under Chinese Internet laws, with multinational companies using these to provide secure connections being required to register the networks with the government.
On the other hand, VPNs are officially banned for use by private users, with the government vigorously blocking access.
However, despite the government's efforts, it is estimated that almost a third of the 650 million online users in China used them to circumvent the Great Firewall and access sites from overseas.
Fang oversaw the development of the Great Firewall during the late 1990s to early 2000s.
Many Chinese Internet users have expressed their opposition to the system, saying that it has led to the country becoming more isolated from the outside world.
Many online users also expressed their opposition to new Internet regulations posted earlier this month effectively further blocking access to foreign websites.
Following the incident, Fang was heavily mocked online by users, Time reported. One Weibo user called the incident "too hilarious," while another chided him for "being so dedicated to his work that he didn't leave a back door even for himself."
The question and answer portion that was to follow Fang's talk was also canceled due to the incident.
