The Decibel Leak reveals China is exporting internet censorship technology
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Sep 11, 2025 James Griffiths, Asia correspondent for The Globe and author of The Great Firewall of China, dives into the mechanisms behind China’s extensive online censorship. He discusses a recent leak revealing how this technology is exported to other authoritarian regimes. Griffiths explains the role of VPNs in circumventing censorship and how countries like Myanmar and Nepal are affected by these practices. The conversation highlights the global implications of China's growing influence on internet governance and the challenges to civil liberties.
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Giege's Technical Edge And Origins
- Giege specializes in high-end firewalls that reverse-engineer and block anti-censorship tools, leveraging founders tied to China's original firewall design.
- Their capabilities include upgrading ISP infrastructure and defeating VPNs, making censorship far more robust for clients.
Direct State Links And BRI Connections
- Giege works directly with Chinese provincial governments and has contracts to run parts of China's Great Firewall in multiple provinces.
- Their overseas deals are often tied to Belt and Road Digital Silk Road initiatives, linking state influence with tech exports.
Countries Where The Tech Is Deployed
- Documents show Giege deployed its Tango Secure Gateway and similar systems in Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Pakistan and an anonymized 'A24' country.
- The company used codenames to track country projects and is actively expanding its client footprint.
