"Increase the Censorship Team"...Chinese Authorities Suppress Protesters with Gravel

Attempt to Block Protest Keywords and Delete Videos

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As protests against China's strict quarantine policies escalate into anti-Xi Jinping demonstrations resisting Xi Jinping's one-man dictatorship, Chinese authorities are intensifying internet controls to prevent the spread of protests.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 1st (local time), China's Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued guidelines on the 29th of last month instructing domestic internet companies to expand their censorship teams and block virtual private networks (VPNs), which allow users to bypass internet restrictions.

Sources reported that major Chinese big tech companies, including Tencent, the largest in China, as well as ByteDance, the parent company of short video platforms TikTok and Douyin, received these directives.

In particular, authorities have reportedly ordered intensive crackdowns on information about protests on university campuses and information sharing related to the fire incident in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that triggered the current situation. Additionally, Chinese search engines, e-commerce companies, and internet content platforms were required to delete posts and information about how to use VPNs.

Sources also revealed that there were requests to ban searches related to VPNs altogether. Not only VPNs but also related search terms that could help evade censorship were blocked, implementing a "graveling" style of control.

As blank paper protests opposing zero-COVID policies spread, many Chinese internet companies have deleted videos related to the protests since last weekend, and the search term "blank paper," a symbol of the protests, has disappeared from social media.

According to mobile data analytics firm Sensor Tower, on the 28th of last month, Twitter ranked 8th in downloads on China's Apple App Store. Earlier in the month, just before the protests, it was only in the mid-100s range.

Although Twitter is officially blocked in China, it is estimated that 3 to 10 million users access it through bypass methods.

CNN Business reported that on Twitter, when searching for the names of major protest locations, authorities are attempting to manipulate public opinion by presenting pornographic videos or spam tweets in the search results.

This measure is interpreted as an effort to prevent videos and photos posted by protesters from becoming new catalysts for the protests. Consequently, Chinese people are uploading protest-related content to social media through bypass connections.

There are also forecasts that the wave of online mourning for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin could further stimulate the current protests.

The Washington Post (WP) analyzed, "Among the younger generation participating in these protests, nostalgia for former President Jiang is spreading," adding, "Just as the Tiananmen incident was triggered by the death of former General Secretary Hu Yaobang, the wave of mourning for former President Jiang could become a spark for the protests."