VPN users in China megacity Chongqing face fines

China uses a 'Great Firewall' to block VPN providers, who supply virtual tunnels that allow users to evade the country's vast censorship system.

Beijing (AFP) - People in the Chinese megacity Chongqing could be fined for using VPNs to jump over the country's "Great Firewall" that blocks access to forbidden websites from Google to Facebook.

The punishment would be meted out to people using virtual private networks to access banned sites for commercial purposes, but Amnesty International said the wording was vague enough that it could affect any business or individual.