China Welcomes Back Wikipedia

For about a year China has blocked citizens from viewing Wikipedia, lest they read unflattering entries on the Tiananmen Square Massacre or the Tibetan freedom movement. But the nation has reversed course: It now allows Web surfers to visit the Chinese-language version of the encyclopedia, at least for the time being.

Government officials haven’t said why they stopped blocking the site. But groups that support open access to the Web are praising Wikipedia: Unlike companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google, the open-source encyclopedia refused to alter any of its content to appease Chinese censors, reports the BBC News. —Brock Read

Categories: Research