Global Voices Advocacy » China

China: Chinese Communist Party Plans To Lead Microblogging Platform

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:54:27 +0000

In China, all conventional media outlets are under the direct leadership of Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A CCP secretary is planted in every media organization to oversee the content and give direction to the editors and reporters what to highlight and what to censor. Same arrangement would be introduced to the governing of micro-blogging platforms such as Sina and Tencents Weibo, according to the report from United Daily News [zh] on June 6, 2012.

The report said, after the Lunar Chinese New Year, the CCP propaganda department issued a notice to major Weibo portals including Sina, Tencents, NetEase, Sohu and etc. that soon after the real name registration implemented, the CCP would set up a division within these portals to oversee the content management. The party division will make sure orders from the propaganda department and state information office be effectively implemented. A special budget would be allocated for the control over micro-blogging platform.

A source told the United Daily News that the Weibo mobilization on train accident in Wenzhou, the anti PX chemical factory protest in Dalian and Wukan uprising has alerted the CCP. The CCP division in Weibo portal is to make instant decision on content filtering. With the implementation of real name registration, the police division will track information source and take crackdown action. In case of emergency, the CCP division will force the platforms to go offline, the report said.

China: Censoring Opinions on China's veto on UN resolution on Syria

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:12:38 +0000

Even though the People's Daily propagated [zh] that “China’s veto was in accordance with the Syrian people’s basic interests”, Chinese concern citizens have not been misled by the official media and believed that China should be responsibility for bloodshed after Syrian resolution veto. However, the popular opinion against China's vote has been quickly deleted online.

South Seas Conversation has captured some discussions in Netease's news thread before and after censorship. Here come the pre-censored opinions:

Aye, some people are afraid that the ‘crafty masses’ (diaomin) will have an example to look at… [2500 recommends]

The ‘China’ in the sentence ‘Rice indicated that Russia and China will be responsible for the bloodshed ahead’ has no relation with the Chinese people, it’s nothing more a crowd of of mainland mongrels (zazhong)! Regarding the ‘Russia’, that may be just one section of Russia’s high-level political hoodlums, like Putin – the little czar. [2412]

Everyone can see why this country [China] is not popular in the world, why you have the world beseiging you. [2211]

The new Axis of Evil [1824]

With the active intervention of web-censor, the opinions have been harmonized within several hours into the followings:

We are also angry about this but there’s nothing we can do. The Syrian people can only rely on themselves to get rid of this tyrant. Respect to all countries and people who support the Syrian people’s movement for justice. [5362 recommends]

Iraq, Afghanistan, it’s been 10 years already, should America take responsibility? Does Libya now need 10 years and then it can intervene in America? Why can’t America tell north from south? [4129]

Responsibility for incidents should start with those countries (people) who provoke trouble. On what basis are China and Russia responsible? This is entirely a case of the West looking for an excuse for their next evil deed. [2850]

Can this kind of inhuman government be popular (shou huanying)? [2354]

13 approvals, 2 vetos. [2343]

Public enemy of humanity. [2145]

China: Several Tibetan Language Blog Sites Shut Down

Dechen Pemba — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:31:01 +0000

Against the backdrop of a stream of self-immolations in Tibet in protest against Chinese rule, unrest in eastern Tibet with protestors shot by police and a severely increased military presence, several of the most popular independently-run Tibetan language blog sites hosted in China have gone offline as of today.

The blog section of the website AmdoTibet has been closed (the rest of the site is functioning) and the following notice can be seen:

The notice in Chinese reads: “Due to some of the blog users not publishing in accordance with the goal of this site, the blog has temporarily been shut down, we hope that blog users will have understanding!”

Another very popular blog site Sangdhor.com is also offline, without any explanation. In October 2011, Sangdhor boldly published a poem titled “Mourning” that was about the self-immolations in Tibet. The poem was quickly taken offline. An English translation of the poem was published on High Peaks Pure Earth.

Below are two screenshots of Sangdhor.com, the top screenshot shows Sangdhor in its functioning state and the bottom screenshot was taken earlier today:

Finally the blog site Rangdrol.net is also offline and contains an interesting notice in Tibetan. In October 2011, Rangdrol published a poem titled “The Truth of Flames on the Thorny Path” which carried many references to fire and flames; the poem was taken offline (read the English translation on High Peaks Pure Earth).

Below is a screenshot of Rangdrol taken earlier, the English text “Site off-line” suggests that the administrators have removed the site, and the Tibetan text underneath reads: ”For the sake of life, we are mourning and crying”.

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.

New Book on Global Struggle for Internet Freedom

Bernardo Parrella — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:26:18 +0000

How do we ensure that the Internet develops in a way that is compatible with democracy? Given the strong push provided by social media to the recent uprisings in the Middle East region and elsewhere, how can people ensure that the same tools are not being used for government censorship and surveillance (often with more than a little help from Western technology companies)? And ultimately, how can we stop thinking of ourselves as passive “users” of technology but rather as “netizens” who take ownership and responsibility for our digital future?

These questions provide the general framework for discussion in Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom, a new book by Rebecca McKinnon, co-founder of Global Voices (and co-author of the twice-monthly Netizen Report on GV Advocacy).

A comprehensive and timely effort, it is a call to action for every blogger or user of Twitter or Facebook, and particularly for cyber-activists at large, to collectively address the urgent issue of how technology should be governed to support the rights and liberties of citizens around the world. With a rigorous analysis and a positive tone, the final message is to get involved in a struggle that all of us have the power and ability to influence (even in small ways), if we only try to understand the complex forces at work, and how we might help shape them.

Divided in five major sections (Disruptions; Control 2.0; Democracy’s challenges; Sovereigns of cyberspace; What is to be done?), the book covers a variety of events over the past decade and is quite up to date, with parts devoted to the Arab Spring and the Egyptian government’s surveillance capabilities, privacy and control in Western democracies, and the rise of “Facebookistan and Googledom”. The book's companion website offers fresh updates and more resources.

The Global Voices network is mentioned here and there, with direct quotes and references. For instance, the book preface speaks briefly about the community's inception, growth, and crucial role in recent events:

As protests erupted in Tunisia in late 2010 and demonstrations spread around the Middle East and North Africa in early 2011, Global Voices contributors worked around the clock to spread information about what was happening in multiple languages, on our own site as well as Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

The first part of the book focuses on interconnections in technology, society and business that fueled the Internet's development so far, giving rise to a “digital commons” that includes innovative practices, digital activism, and people's empowerment. This is an exciting environment that nonetheless faces opposition, defined as “Control 2.0”: “…how opaque, unaccountable relationships with Internet and telecommunications companies enables authoritarian governments to control and manipulate citizens.”

China is a primary case study here, with a detailed description of its refined censorship system and recent developments to maintain authoritarian control, while at the same time enabling, “…high levels of lively and even contentious online debate and deliberation, within certain limits.”

After describing similar (or worse) situations in countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Syria, the focus shifts to Western democracies — who unfortunately appear inclined to emulate authoritarian regimes, even if in subtle and insidious ways. That is, technology companies are establishing equally opaque and unaccountable relationships with government agencies, and fail to, “…take responsibility for their power over citizens’ political lives, and their lack of accountability in the exercise of that power.”

Image © Shutterstock.com

The various examples discussed here include WikiLeaks, privacy complaints on Facebook, ‘Big Brother' Apple, and Net Neutrality. Along with the on-going battle about intellectual property vs. free speech and sharing (see the global initiative against SOPA-PIPA, and the recent ‘selective censorship‘ announced by Twitter). Also addressed are lesser-known issues, such as a 2011 proposal to create a “single European cyberspace” that would block “illicit content” at Europe’s borders.

Finally, the last section of the book attempts to answer the question of “What is to be done?”, proposing the development of a Netizen-centric Internet. This part explores efforts by some governments, a few companies, and a growing number of concerned citizens to address the threats to freedom in cyberspace through new initiatives and movements. Some suggestions include: boosting corporate transparency; building processes for corporate engagement with users, customers, and other stakeholders; and building a more citizen-driven information environment.

At the end of the day, this Struggle For Internet Freedom is taking place here and now — in Arab countries, in East Asia and even in Western nations. It is a common struggle, and it is up to each and all of us, as netizens and citizens of the world, to monitor the state of affairs and make sure the Internet remains a force for freedom of expression and political liberation — rather than a tool for alienation, censorship and repression.

China: Micro-blog real name registration extended to Guangzhou and Shenzhen

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:31:07 +0000

The regulation of real name registration for micro-blogging platform has extended from Beijing to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. According to local report [zh], the real name registration requirement is started today (December 22). 7 major micro-blogging platforms, including Tencents, Jinyang, Dayoo, Shenzhen News Web, OE, DIgu and Fanfou have to authenticate new users' identity before granting them authority to create post.

New users have to provide their identity card numbers to the micro-blogging platforms and the companies would cross-check the details with government authority for identity authentication. The users can still use pseudo name for their account.

China: Real Name Registration for Micro-blogging

Oiwan Lam — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:40:03 +0000

The Beijing city government introduced a new set of regulations on December 16, 2011 to control the flow of information in micro-blogging platforms. The Beijing Municipal Regulations Concerning the Development and Control of Microblogs [zh] (English version via Bill Bishop) requires users to register their real identity before posting messages on micro-blogging platforms or they will be in the read-only mode. Micro-blogging service providers have to verify the identity of their users within 3 months.

Forbidden Content

In addition, all users are forbidden from distributing messages that:

1. violate the principles of the constitution;
2. endanger national security, disclose state secrets, incite sedition of state, destroy national unity;
3. harm the nation's honor and interest;
4. incite ethnic hatred, discrimination and unity;
5. against the nation's religion policy, propagate religious cults and superstition;
6. spread rumors, disrupt public order and stability;
7. spread obscenity, gambling information, violence, horror or information that induce criminal activities;
8. defamatory comments or information that violate other's legal rights;
9. incite illegal assembly, demonstration, protest and gathering that disrupt public order;
10. illegal civic groups' activities;
11. content forbidden by any other law and regulation.

Identity verification code

According to the Beijing authority's press conference, a user has to verify his/her real identity to a government designated authority. The authority would then issue a verify code for the user to register his/her micro-blog account.

The China Media Project has translated the local news story and Professor Zhen Jiang's comments on the regulation. Zhen argues that the regulation does not have legal ground.

Meanwhile, the state propaganda China Central Television has produced a number of news features in support of the micro-blogging real name registration system. Criticisms against the regulation are deleted in matter of seconds in Sina Weibo.

For Chinese Netizens, SOPA is Another Great Firewall

Weiping Li — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:59:05 +0000

“Now they’re copying us to build up a wall. It’s like after climbing over the wall, we then bump into another one. It’s crazy!! (現在等於他們自己也照著我們這樣造個牆，於是我們以後翻牆出去，又被他們的牆牆住[，]這簡直瘋了嗎！)” On China's Sina Weibo microblogging service a Chinese Internet user with nickname “gap foreseeable (落差可見)” expresses concern over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which expected to brought to a vote in U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the year. The Chinese government has long been criticized by Americans for obstructing the free flow of information through a filtering system popularly known as the Great Firewall. Now it is Chinese neitzens' turn to sneer at proposals for a Made-in-America Great Firewall.

Most Chinese-language blogs and microblog messages emphasize the disastrous outcomes that the bill could bring. What people worry about most are bill's endorsement of surveillance by web services and Internet companies to prevent “infringing” content, and the implications for individual privacy. A post written by blogger Richard (pseudonym) on the Taiwan-based website inside.com.tw introduces key concepts of SOPA and asks readers to imagine what it will be like to live under the bill. This post has been widely circulated around websites Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China:

“試想著有一天你在台灣，過著像這樣的生活：各網站必須被迫和政府合作接受審查，你平日每天要上的網站隨時可能會被封鎖，你寄出的每封信也都會受到審查，再也沒有私人隱私。大陸的狀況？唉，一聲長嘆啊！”

“Try to imagine that, one day, you’re in Taiwan and live a life like this: every website is forced to cooperate with the government and subject to be censored. The websites that you visit everyday can be blocked anytime. Every mail you send will also be censored. There is no more privacy. As for what will happen in China [under the same scenario]? Sigh…a long long sigh…”

The Taiwanese media company Next media Animation has even made an animated clip about SOPA, in which black-suited Hollywood businessman battle Internet company guys who are backed up by net users. SOPA is personified with cops using pepper spray against people who might use pirated works.

The comments from China weibo users are even more bitter, and scorning –both at the United States and Chinese government.

“s7evenz:看來咱們終於可以向老美輸出技術和價值觀了，咱們是強大的，先進的，無比正確的！”

“s7evenz: It looks like that we can finally export our technology and value to the Americans. We’re strong, advanced, and absolutely right!”

“SemKem:期待美國佬享受與天朝子民同等待遇”

“SemKem: I expect to see that the Americans enjoy the same treatment as what the subjects of the Holy Empire have.” [”Holy Empire” is a sarcastic term used by Chinese netizens for the Chinese government.]

Aside from those sarcastic comments, Chinese blogger Michael Anti sees the introduction of SOPA into legislation as a conflict between opposing interests among rival groups.

“簡單地說，SOPA是傳統媒體和消費品行業延長黃金歲月的保護傘，卻是互聯網行業和用戶權利的扼殺者，前者只是懷念舊時光，而後者卻要誓死消滅這個法案，因此反對者必然會全力廝殺到最後。隨著今後法案在眾院委員會的審查，對它的阻擊還會越來越強烈。”

“To put it simply, traditional media and consumer products companies use SOPA as a shield to prolong their golden days. However, the same bill will kill Internet industry and users. The former is only being nostalgic, but the latter has sworn to kill the bill. Therefore, the groups who oppose the bill will definitely fight to the last minute. The blow on the bill will be getting fiercer as it is scrutinized in the House committee.”

Anti also predicts that there is slim possibility for the bill to become law. However, “the introduction of the bill does also stage a grand legislation war,” Anti concludes.

China: Father of GFW on Internet Sovereignty

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:54:44 +0000

Fang Binxing, known as the “father of China’s Great Firewall,” recently recently made a speech on “The future of Internet security” which justifies the development of national network or national intranet by stressing the rights to Internet Sovereignty. Since Fang Binxing has great influence on the development of Internet infrastructure and censorship system in China, his speech may imply the future plan of the China Intranet.

The scopes

The notion of Internet Sovereignty is based upon a very sophisticated framework of Internet security. According to Fang Binxing's talk, the scopes of Internet security include:

1. Infrastructure: Bandwidth, Software and Hardware and etc.
2. Operation: Defense against hacking, hijacking, illegitimate access, plug-in and etc.
3. Data: User identity confirmation, privacy protection, authentication and etc.
4. Content: Monitoring, filtering, restricting unauthenticated access, screening and etc.

The principles for maintaining internet security are

1. Pragmatism: It will not jeopardize system stability
2. Privacy: Personal data in online transaction should be encrypted and protected. Enable privacy setting.
3. Control: Content must be traceable, archived and subject to auditing to ensure users' responsibility. Filter system is needed.
4. Verification: identity verification system

Beast, Pet, Livestock and Children

When discussed the objectives of Information security Fang compared the imagined targets of security maintenance to beast, pet, livestock and children.

The first objective is security defense, the target is like a beast. It is like the management of a prison house, and invasive and preventive measure is needed. The second objective is trust, the imagined target is like pet. The management style is similar to an office where there is incentive and punishment. The third objective is reliability, the imagined target is livestock. It is like management a farm, the pigs are surrounded in bars and well fed. The fourth objective is control, the imagined target is children. It is like managing one's home, everything is under monitored and parental guidance.

Fang also suggested to set up a guarantee system for software design, hardware system, service provider and users to make sure that the security system can be functioned and will not jeopardize users' need.

Internet Sovereignty

In his conclusion, he put forward the need for ensuring China's Internet Sovereignty and there are four principles for enhancing such sovereignty:

1. Independency - Against foreign intervention of the network. The government can negotiate for unilateral or multinational agreement for network access.
2. Equality - Against monopoly of giant ISPs such as Sprint and the so-called global principle in Internet governance.
3. Self-Defense - In order to self-defense, a sovereignty should have the rights to cut off from illegitimate network connection.
4. Governance - Against unauthenticated connection, access and plugin. Fang used Google's pulling out of China as an example to imply that when a company pulls out, its service in China should be ceased.

A full transcript of his talk is accessible here [zh]. Below is a widely circulated image of Fang Binxing among Chinese netizens for expressing their anger towards this Internet censorship guru:

China: Sina Weibo's Warning to DeutscheWelle

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:44:33 +0000

DeutscheWelle's official Sina Weibo account has been forced to “re-incarnate” again in November 13, 2011. The deletion of user account is a punishment mechanism by Sina Weibo to those who have posted “sensitive topic”. If the user insists to make its presence in Weibo, s/he has to open a new account and accumulate its followers from zero, Chinese netizens call this “re-incarnation”.

DeutscheWelle's reincarnation message is:

不仅无法加V，还在新浪的剿杀下被迫一再转世，这大概是有史以来最悲催苦逼的官方微博了。此前德国之声一直强调说自己不会被封，因为一未违反中国的法律，二未触犯新浪的禁忌。但事实证明，人类已经无法揣测新浪的G点了，或许它全身上下无一处不敏感。

Not only that we are unable to obtain a “V” [Note: a symbol for the verification of identity verification], we are forced to re-incarnate again under the tyranny of Sina. This is probably the most miserable official micro-blog in our history. DeutsheWelle was used to stressed that we would not be blocked here. We have never done anything against the Chinese Law and we have never touched any taboos set by Sina. But the fact has proven that there is no way for any human being to avoid G-spots[Note: sensitive spot] in Sina. Probably it is all over its body.

Below is an online Cartoon on Sina's g-spots:

After the user account of DeutsheWelle been restored, they received an email from Sina demanding them to stop posting sensitive messages and criticisms against Sina.

This morning, DeutsheWelle received a pop-up chat box warning message from the Sina Weibo Customer service again, stating:

再不老实，注销帐号。

Your account will be deleted if you have any dishonesty again.

The warning is either a reaction of DeutsheWelle's exposure of Sina's censorship mechanism or a news item about a protest in Guangzhou. Below is a screen capture of the pop-up message:

The Big brother is watching you!

China: State media's anti-rumor campaign

Oiwan Lam — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 05:08:05 +0000

The state controlled national television China Central Television (CCTV) launched an attack on social media platform, such as Sina Weiblog [a micro-blogging platform similar to Twitter] earlier in August 2011 accusing the tool for spreading rumors and frauds online. Chinese netizens quickly reacted against the propaganda machine, questioned the political intention of the TV program and defended the social media platforms.

Recently the Television has shifted its target of attack from social media to the biggest search engine in China, Baidu, accusing its market oriented operation mechanism, which results in the spreading of commercial advertisements which are sometimes frauds.

The CEO of KDnet, Xiao Zengjian believed that the public opinion campaign is to prepare for the launching of a new search engine, Tuiso (推索), which is jointly run by CCTV and People Net. On the other hand, new media researcher, Beifeng pointed out that the State media may want to continue the previous campaign against rumor by attacking an Internet company with less public support when compared to other micro-blogging platforms. However, eventually the objective is to impose a set of rule for regulating the Internet, in particular the social media. (via Deutsche Welle's report)