WeChat Censorship Spreads Overseas
The popular Chinese app. WeChat is censoring certain key words from messages sent by its more than 846 million users even if they register with a foreign phone number, according to a study by the University of Toronto’s Citizen’s Lab. WeChat is the fourth largest app of its kind on the planet offering additional features […]
Facebook Creates New Special Software for China’s Internet Censorship
Facebook is a global entity – well, kind of. An almost global entity. China, with its strict cyber-censorship laws, is one of very few (less than 15) nations barring its citizens access to the popular social site. This, however, may soon change. Facebook has created a special software to potentially accommodate China’s harsh censorship demands, […]
Several Chinese Online News Sites Publish Independent Stories, Chinese Government Shuts Them Down
China has seen a huge surge in cyber-censorship in the recent years since current president Xi Jinping took office in 2012, of which he rules on the platform of heightened control of his people under the pretense of “allegiance to the Communist Party”. This notion of invasive surveillance being in the name of “nationalism” and […]
Second Draft of Controversial Chinese Cybersecurity Law Presented to Parliament
In a further push toward absolute control and censorship of online activities, Chinese parliament held a second reading of draft rules for a potential and controversial new cybersecurity law Monday. The Chinese government’s dominance over its citizens has much to do with its stringent control of media outlets; from going through people’s personal emails and […]
China’s ‘Fifty Cent Party’ ‘Flooding’ Social Media With Fake Posts
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not the only ruling party in China – sort of. What is known within China as the “Fifty Cent Party” is a cadre of loyal citizens hired to help circulate Party-happy messages online. The “members” of this party allegedly get paid 50 cents for each post they write, hence […]
‘Father’ of China’s Internet Control Blocked by his Own Creation
The “father” of China’s system of internet controls was defeated by the very own system he helped create in a bout of hilarious irony. Fang Binxing was giving a speech at the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) on the topic of internet security when the system blocked him from entering a South Korean website, according […]
Prominent Chinese Magazine Claims Government Censored Article about Free Speech
In a very ironic twist, the Chinese government has censored an article speaking to the topic of free speech. This irony is not to be taken lightly, however. Censorship by the Chinese government has long been a hotly discussed issue in the rest of the world, illustrating China’s Communist control over its people. According to […]
Chinese Journalist Goes Missing in Thailand After Seeking Asylum
Seeking refuge and fearing persecution by the Chinese government, a young journalist rushed to Thailand. Now, he’s missing. Li Xin was the editor of a popular Chinese newspaper called the Southern Metropolitan Daily. His wife says he feared being punished by the Chinese government for going public about the censorship he faced as an editor, […]
China’s Chief Censor says China Doesn’t Censor
Ahead of the World Internet Conference in the Chinese town of Wuzhen, China’s censor-in-chief told the country’s media that Beijing does not censor the Internet. Lu Wei, the leader of the Cyberspace Administration of China, instead told reporters that China “manages” the Internet. “It is a misuse of words to say ‘content censorship,’ Lu said […]
China Launches Massive Surveillance Program on Streets of Tibet
The ancient site of Barkhor in the Tibetan capital often served as a battlefield between Chinese security forces and Tibetans. Today, it’s considered one of the safest places in China. Beijing attributes that peace to a vast on-the-ground surveillance and security network, which it calls “grid management.” According to Chinese state-run media, the government’s program […]
