iTunes blocked in China over Tibet? Can this really be true?

Is the great firewall of China really blocking foreign users in the country from accessing the iTunes music store? According to many iTunes users in China (Apple China doesn't have a domestic iTunes store) they were cut off from iTunes store since Monday. Appleinsider forum poster jenjen2008 says:

"I am in Shanghai and have been able to use iTunes for 3 years now with no problems, but for the past two days I get an immediate message that the 'network connection was reset,'"

Others say that they can access iTunes without issue - perhaps all of the global Olympics traffic is halting some internet access..

The real cause, say many including Reuters, is the release of Songs for Tibet - The Art of Peace (iTunes Link), a compilation of twenty songs by Sting, Alanis Morissette, Garbage, John Mayer and others, and a 15-minute talk by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader.

During the last few weeks of hosting the Olympics, China has been particularly harsh on Tibetan protesters, including detaining Americans who planned on peaceably demonstrating during the Olympics. Michael Wohl, executive director of the New York City-based Art of Peace, said he believed the album was the cause of the block.

Although the timing is bad and the profile of this particular album is high, it is hard to believe the Chinese would single out iTunes as a means of spreading propaganda at this time. You've been able to download tons of musicians' pro-Tibet work for years, including everyone from the Beastie Boys to Pavarotti.

I guess it is all in the timing...or perhaps I just don't understand authoritarian regimes and their censorship practices. Their alledged blocking has only made the album more popular and promoted the pro-Tibet cause.

And if you think Apple is going to back down, you'll be wise to remember that their CEO, Steve Jobs, is an old school Zen Master Buddhist from way back and is likely sympathetic the Tibetans...whether he chooses to publicly say so or not - remember China hasn't signed any iPhone deals yet...

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