Is the Internet a Patchwork System?

I feel like I have very little grasp of how much information is available to the average Chinese citizen. My hunch is that information as a way of sort of flowing through the cracks, even if government controls. But that's sort of just that is a hunch. So I'm really curious about this,. in my mind, I have a very firm distinction between the CCP, which I have plenty of negative things to say about, and you know, the Chinese people.