China reportedly blocks YouTube access

YouTube reportedly has been blocked by authorities in China for reasons unknown to parent company Google, according to various press reports.

The Chinese government isn't known for discussing its actions when it comes to blocking its citizens from access to what it considers to be questionable content. The Wall Street Journal quotes a Chinese official responding to a question about the ban: "What I could tell you is, [the] Chinese government has taken up management of the network according to the laws."

The BBC, in its own report, said the site has been blocked because YouTube has a video of Chinese soldiers beating monks and other Tibetans. The authenticity of that video has been questioned and the news agency couldn't confirm when and where the video was shot.

YouTube has been blocked in the past during high-profile government meetings and following last year's unrest in Tibet, the WSJ reported.