[dmix]

Demand <--> supply.

Controls might help prevent this type of thing but often just pushes it underground. In all likelyhood they'd probably just get it from some source without public tenders. Then we'd know even less about their censorship capabilities.

Or at best they'd get a less-capable software version from an amoral and less technically savvy country - which may be easier to circumvent.

Bluecoat seems to still be operating fine despite doing similar things years ago in the US.

[gooserock]

"Somebody is going to do this, so we might as well do it" is not a valid defense for doing something that is immoral.

[dmix]

You mischaracterized my argument. To reiterate:

If somebody is going to do it anyway it is therefore often better to have it done in public rather than pushed into black markets via controls (see: drug war).

The additional condition I provided is where the black market options are much weaker or limited than the possible public options, allowing the markets to effectively circumvent or eliminate the negative utility of the black market products - therefore making controls a valid option (see: nuclear arms).