Great Firewall

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Great Firewall¹

C21: a play on the Great Wall of China

Example Sentences

Other Meta apps, including Facebook, Instagram and Messenger remained available for download, although use of such foreign apps is blocked in China due to its “Great Firewall” network of filters that restrict use of foreign websites such as Google and Facebook.

From Seattle Times

WhatsApp, one of the world’s most popular messaging services, and Threads were not used widely in China, which has an elaborate system to block foreign apps and websites inside its borders, known as the Great Firewall.

From New York Times

Vietnam is not large enough to do what China has done, and seal itself off behind its own "great firewall".

From BBC

Many countries have tried to contain and control the internet citizens can see within their borders: China bans virtually all major international platforms, like Facebook to Google, via its famed “Great Firewall.”

From Washington Times

Bluetooth, AirDrop and such file-sharing services are crucial tools in China, where the so-called Great Firewall has resulted in one of the mostly tightly-controlled internet regimes.

From BBC