this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2026
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I am pretty sure they banned gaming at work a long time ago.
It's only banned if they find out!
I'm talking about banning Windows for any citizen.
It's funny, because if the Chinese really did something along those lines it would be interpreted (correctly) as authoritarian abuse.
How can a government enforce such ruling? It is not the same as blocking the websites you don't like.
All they really have to do is specify that all new machines sold domestically have to be loaded with their tailored Linux distro and no other OS, and they'd eventually get rid of the majority of Windows machines. Enforcement of that should at least be possible, since they'd only have to check sellers and distributors of new equipment. Then just lean on domestic developers and/or software companies so that they don't provide new versions of must-have applications (whatever those may be) for Windows to encourage the holdouts to move on.
It would never fly in a country without an authoritarian government, but China could likely get away with it. It just wouldn't be instantaneous.
Enforcement is secondary, the first and most important step is making it illegal. And maybe providing an alternative they develop and control themselves, a custom China based Linux as a replacement for Windows. So the first step is making it a reason not to install Windows willing fully. And the enforcement goes as far as they can, nobody said that it can be enforced on everyone.
If anyone is caught talking or using Windows because they don't use VPN and hide their browser identity, then the government could investigate a bit further. Nobody want to be caught in China. Windows has a builtin identification, the browser tells a lot, and Windows tries to connect to the internet for downloads and updates. All of that could be tracked. You would need to be offline in order not get caught, unless you know 100% exactly what you do, maybe then its safe.
I'm not a wizard, I don't know the exact methods. This is just what I know as a normal citizen who does not really do all of this stuff. Imagine what they know.
Why would they make a rural Chinese granny either go out and buy a new computer with preinatalled Linux or go learn how to do it herself, just so that it's legal for her to call her relatives? Sounds a bit shortsighted to me.
It's to protect her and the country from being spied by "Americans".