The Wall Street Journal: Gmail totally blocked in China after censors close loophole

China has upped the ante in its longstanding censorship of all things Google. In the six months since Googles mail service Gmail was blocked in mainland China, users had been able to access it using third-party email applications such as Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail.

Beijing now appears to have closed the loophole, completely shutting down access to Gmail behind the so-called Great Firewall. Google GOOG, -0.69% data showed Gmail appeared to have been walled off starting Friday. Google spokesman Taj Meadows acknowledged the drop in traffic and said Monday that theres nothing wrong on our end.

Chinas State Internet Information Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. At a daily press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she wasnt aware of the matter. She added that the government always welcomes foreign businesses to carry out relevant work in China.

Beijing doesnt always publicize its reasons for shutting down websites, permanently or temporarily. In the past, such censorship has tended to coincide with periods of politically sensitive anniversaries or big political conferences in the capital like its annual legislature.

The last time Google came under such attack was in June, ahead of the 25 anniversary of Beijings deadly suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. During that round, Googles suite of services including Google+, Gchat and Drive were all shut down. It was the first time that Beijing had blocked Google services to such a significant extent ahead of a Tiananmen anniversary.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com

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The Wall Street Journal: Gmail totally blocked in China after censors close loophole