Google banned by Chinese government

Access to internet search engine Google has been blocked in China, amid suggestions the Communist government is cracking down on internet content it views as subversive or corrupting.

Google had proved particularly popular in China because of its ability to run searches in Chinese - but it seems the sheer volume of unregulated content available via its simple key word searches may have unsettled the Communist Party, famed for its tight control over the media.

One industry insider told Reuters that the site is being blocked out of Beijing and has been unavailable since Saturday.

Specific reasons for the barring appear to be the availability, via Google searches, of articles and content related to the outlawed spiritual movement Falun Gong, as well as more universal concerns such as pornography and a threat to national security.

This is the first time a search engine has been blocked in this way in China, but political unrest, ahead of a Party congress expected to see sweeping changes in the country's leadership is thought to have been the catalyst for this sudden stepping up of state control over online censorship.

In related news, UK Google users have also been experiencing problems when trying to access the site over the past few weeks.

While for many the service is unchanged others have been asked to download files before they can access the site. A spokesman for Google said the problem is most likely to do with Adware and assured silicon.com it was being looked into.