China Leads Internet Control Model as Iran Follows State-Restricted Digital Era

The Guardian has warned about the accelerating fragmentation of the global digital space as authoritarian countries increasingly impose internet restrictions and isolate their citizens from the open web, a trend that risks transforming the digital world into a collection of separate networks controlled by governments.

China is no longer just a country that practices internet censorship within its borders; it has become a model for many regimes seeking to tighten control over information flow and freedom of expression, contributing to the global entrenchment of the "fragmented internet" phenomenon.

China boasts the largest number of internet users worldwide, reaching 1.125 billion by the end of 2025 according to official figures. However, this vast user base operates within a digital environment subject to strict constraints imposed by the "Great Firewall," which not only blocks politically sensitive content but also restricts major global technology platforms and companies such as Google and Meta.

The Guardian highlights that what has developed inside China resembles the world’s largest closed internet network, directing users to a state-supervised local digital ecosystem. Beijing is no longer an exception but a pioneer in exporting the "cyber sovereignty" model, which critics describe as a comprehensive system of digital censorship and repression.

Through initiatives like the World Internet Conference, China seeks to legitimize extensive government censorship and provide other governments with the legal, technical, and expertise tools necessary to control cyberspace. The newspaper states that China gains political and commercial benefits from exporting surveillance technologies abroad, noting widespread belief that Iran already employs Chinese technologies to manage its digital space.

Last autumn, leaked information revealed that the Chinese company Gedge, linked to a key engineer of China’s censorship system known as the "Father of the Great Firewall," marketed and sold surveillance technologies to several countries, including Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Myanmar.

Human rights organization Article 19 disclosed that Chinese partnerships in digital infrastructure and internet governance have contributed to strengthening authoritarian practices in several countries across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, reflecting China’s expanding influence in shaping the global digital environment.

According to a report by Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition, last year saw at least 313 internet shutdowns across 52 countries, marking the highest recorded number to date. These shutdowns often occur during conflicts, protests, or political crises, where denying citizens access to information becomes a tool for control and repression.

The Guardian cites Iran as an example, where internet access partially resumed after an 88-day blackout, but ongoing restrictions continue to provoke public dissatisfaction. The paper also notes that isolating populations from the outside world affects not only political aspects but also carries significant economic consequences that may increase popular discontent.

While China employs an advanced model of digital censorship, other countries are attempting to follow similar paths. In Iran, users continue to access state-supervised local services such as messaging apps and domestic video-sharing platforms. Russia is moving toward testing a "whitelist" system that allows access only to officially approved websites, alongside encouraging users to adopt the state-supported "Max" app as an alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram, which face increasing restrictions.

However, The Guardian suggests Moscow may struggle to replicate China’s experience, as Beijing has successfully developed local platforms that many users consider genuine competitors, and sometimes more attractive, than their Western counterparts, exemplified by the multifunctional "WeChat" app.

Concluding its editorial, the newspaper emphasizes that governments’ growing ability to restrict internet access at lower costs, coupled with declining international attention, makes the role of digital freedom advocates more crucial than ever. Nonetheless, these efforts face mounting challenges following the United States’ reduction of funding for many initiatives defending internet freedom, alongside shrinking support from other democratic countries for civil society organizations abroad.

The Guardian argues that digital freedoms are not a marginal issue but a fundamental human right to access information and express opinions, warning that the spread of a fragmented internet harms not only censored societies but also threatens the future of the global digital space as a whole.