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The Battle for Net Neutrality Seems a Lost Cause in China
Article

The Battle for Net Neutrality Seems a Lost Cause in China

Let's Discuss Just How Little We Know About Net Neutrality by Looking at Tencent and China Unicom's "King Card"

PingWest, 2017

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • Background

Recommendation

Net neutrality, debated for years in the United States, has now reached China’s Internet shoreline. Guang Pu, editor for tech media company PingWest, explains how Chinese tech giant Tencent’s partnership with Internet provider China Unicom is threatening the existence of net neutrality. He implores the public to take a stronger interest in the subject but, ironically, his appeal for net neutrality comes at a time when China doesn’t even allow an open Internet. getAbstract recommends this article to economists, social activists, people working in tech start-ups and corporations, and anyone interested in protecting Internet equality.

Take-Aways

  • Net neutrality – the principle that Internet service providers and government regulations must treat all data the same – is under threat in China.
  • Internet provider China Unicom is offering a new data plan called the King Card that charges a low monthly fee and gives users free unlimited data on all Tencent apps.
  • Consequently, people on the King Card plan are switching to Tencent apps to save money – putting competing apps in danger of going out of business.

About the Author

Guang Pu is an editor and writer for PingWest, a Chinese media company specializing in tech and online culture.