SafeFamily vs China's Great Firewall
Addressing the "Isn't This Censorship?" Question
SafeFamily and China's Great Firewall both use DNS filtering. This has led some to ask whether SafeFamily is a form of censorship. This document explains why they are fundamentally different.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | SafeFamily | China's Great Firewall |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls it? | Parents, in their own households | The Chinese government |
| Can you opt out? | Yes-parents choose to enrol; they can disable or leave at any time | No-applies to all citizens; circumvention is illegal |
| What's blocked? | Harmful categories (e.g., adult content, malware, violence) defined by parents | Political speech, dissent, foreign media, human rights content |
| Who sees what's blocked? | Parents, for their own children's networks | State security and censorship apparatus |
| Is there transparency? | Yes-published categories, audit, appeal mechanisms | No-blocklists are secret; no appeal |
| Is it universal? | Only households with children who opt in | All citizens, regardless of age or consent |
Key Distinctions
Purpose. SafeFamily exists to protect children from harmful content at the request of parents. The Great Firewall exists to control information and suppress dissent.
Consent. SafeFamily is opt-in. Parents decide whether to use it and how to configure it. The Great Firewall is mandatory and cannot be opted out of.
Accountability. SafeFamily providers are subject to law, regulation, and consumer choice. The Great Firewall operates under state authority with no meaningful oversight or appeal.
Scope. SafeFamily blocks categories of content that parents deem harmful for their children. The Great Firewall blocks content that the state deems politically inconvenient.
Conclusion
SafeFamily is a parental tool. The Great Firewall is state censorship. They share a technology (DNS filtering) but have fundamentally different purposes, controls, and accountability structures. SafeFamily empowers parents to protect their children; the Great Firewall empowers the state to control its citizens.