*The Man Who Nailed Jello to the Wall* /Westerners said the web could never be controlled. Lu Wei, China's departing internet czar, proved them all wrong./ By Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian June 29, 2016 On March 8, 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton hailed the arrival of a new era, one in which the internet would mean the triumph of liberty around the world. He dismissed China’s fledgling efforts to restrain online speech. “Good luck,” quipped Clinton. “That’s sort of like trying to nail Jello to the wall.” More than 16 years later, however, it appears that China has largely succeeded in doing just that. Key to this achievement was Lu Wei, known as China’s internet czar. The charismatic head of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, China’s internet regulator, channeled the vision and confidence of strongman President Xi Jinping and, with a barrage of strict new policies aimed at corralling online speech, plugged the holes left by the prior administration’s half-measures, which left social media a flourishing space where government was often criticized. On June 29, state news agency Xinhua confirmed reports that Lu would be stepping down, an unexpected move. It’s unclear what prompted the move, or what’s next for Lu. But his legacy, and China’s unprecedented system of internet controls, are unlikely to fade. […] Continua qui: https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/06/29/the-man-who-nailed-jello-to-the-wall-lu...