Great Firewall

British  

noun

1. informal a system that prevents access to websites deemed undesirable by the government of the People's Republic of China

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Etymology

Origin of Great Firewall

C21: a play on the _{Great Wall of China}

Example Sentences

When AI systems train on content from the Chinese internet, it is already scrubbed as part of China’s so-called Great Firewall, the system Beijing set up years ago to block online content it finds objectionable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

Asked by a reporter whether the United States planned on using tools to help Chinese internet users circumvent the Great Firewall, Jean-Pierre said she did not have any new information.

From Washington Post • Nov. 30, 2022

Though both are banned in China, Wang hopes his reports will trickle over China’s Great Firewall and into the country.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022

The Great Firewall of China, as it is known, is perhaps the most obvious example of how a country can create its own web.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2022

A more severe step would be creating an analog to China’s Great Firewall, which restricts access to foreign websites on the outside and strictly controls what is allowed inside.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2022