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

For decades, the Great Firewall worked because information control meant controlling distribution channels by blocking websites, filtering search results, and monitoring social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

“If more videos or information jumps across the Great Firewall of China, then obviously it’s outside the control of China’s online censorship machine.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2022

But the system, which also lets the FSB security service spy on Russian citizens, is a relative sieve compared to China’s Great Firewall.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 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