When Russia blocked Facebook and limited Twitter this month, many Chinese internet users were surprised. Wait a moment, they said: The Russians could use Facebook and Twitter? Both social media platforms have been banned in China since 2009.

By blocking online platforms, shutting down the last vestige of Russia’s independent media and making it a crime to refer to the fighting in Ukraine as a war, the Kremlin has made it nearly impossible for the Russian people to get independent or international news after its invasion. Most Russians are taking in an alternative reality.

That is exactly what China has been doing to its 1.4 billion people for years. Nearly all major Western websites are blocked in the country. A generation of Chinese have grown up in a very different information environment from the rest of the world. Mostly, they are left to believe in what Beijing tells them.

“When people ask me how info environment within the Great Firewall is like,” Yaqiu Wang, a researcher at the Human Rights Watch in New York, wrote on Twitter about China’s censored internet, “I say, ‘Imagine the whole country is one giant QAnon.’”

After years of testing and hesitation, Russia is heading toward harsher internet censorship akin to China’s Great Firewall to better control its people. China’s information dark age could be Russia’s future.

“What is darkness?” asked a user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. “You can’t speak the truth, and you aren’t allowed to see the truth.”

The two countries have the tendency to learn the worst from each other.

Both the Russians and the Chinese were deeply scarred by disastrous eras under communism, which produced tyrants like Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong, gulags and labor camps, and man-made famines that starved millions to death.

Now, Russia is learning from China how to exert control over its people in the social media age.

The Ukraine crisis has only accelerated a process that started years earlier. In late 2015, China and Russia signed a strategic cooperation agreement on internet governance. A few months later, two of China’s most infamous proponents of censorship travelled to Moscow to preach their ideas of the internet to their Russian counterparts.

“Unlimited freedom can lead to terrorism,” China’s internet czar at the time, Lu Wei, told his Russian audience at a forum. “If borders exist, they exist in cyberspace, too,” said Fang Binxing, known as “father of the Great Firewall.”

China has not always been as tightly controlled as it has become under its top leader, Xi Jinping. In the 1990s and 2000s, investigative journalists broke many stories that led to the downfalls of government officials and to judiciary reforms. The internet and social media made it possible for the public to exchange ideas, debate important topics and pressure the government to respond to their concerns.

There was censorship — at times very strict — and some people went to jail for voicing their political views. But there was a little room for free speech, as there was in Russia for much of Putin’s rule.

Then, under Xi, a new era of control took hold, and it did not stop at news media and social media. It reached everything that touches human minds: books and cartoons, films and television, music and classrooms.

The country regulates what textbooks children use, what type of novels writers can publish, and what kind of mobile games people can play. And it is all possible because the vast majority of Chinese live in the huge information bubble within the Great Firewall.

The effects are clearly demonstrated in the overwhelmingly pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin online sentiment in China after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. A huge number of Chinese internet users have bought into the disinformation that the Russian and Chinese propaganda machines feed them.

Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform, used to be the place to debate democracy and freedom. Now, the biggest influencers on Weibo are state-owned media outlets like the People’s Daily, the Global Times and China Central Television. Bilibili, a user-generated video site that used to be popular among young gamers and comic and anime fans, is now full of nationalistic young people known as little pinks.

It requires a lot of perseverance for someone with independent thoughts to keep a presence on Weibo. A law scholar I know had set up 343 Weibo accounts from 2009 to 2014, only to see them deleted one by one. Some of them survived only a few minutes. Many people quit social media because they could not stand the abuses by government trolls and little pinks. They also do not want to risk of getting jailed for a post.

The news media has suffered an even greater retreat.

After the huge earthquake struck Sichuan province in May 2008, many Chinese news outlets sent journalists there despite a ban from the Central Propaganda Department. Their powerful, emotional coverage informed the nation of the tragedy and raised questions about the quality of many school buildings.

That kind of reporting is long gone. When news happens, the Chinese public has no choice but to accept the government’s version of the truth.

In January, when the government of the northwestern city of Xi’an imposed a strict lockdown that created chaos and crises not seen since Wuhan two years ago, few news outlets sent journalists to cover it. The only significant reporting the Chinese public got was a first-person blog post written by a former investigative journalist known by her pen name, Jiang Xue.

A few weeks later, when the public was outraged by a video that showed a woman chained in a doorless shack, they had many questions about her, including whether she was a victim of human trafficking. No journalist was able to conduct any independent investigation. Despite the government issuing five statements about her case, many people remain sceptical and are worried that they may never know her real identity.

State censors scrutinize books, videos, films, TV series and just about any creative content much more closely before they reach their audience. The goal is to make sure that everyone, especially the young generation, shares the same values.

A well-known Chinese intellectual has written three books that might never get published. Another famous scholar has written five books with no hope of getting them past the censors.

On Chinese TV, hip-hop singers and soccer players wear long sleeves or use makeup to cover their tattoos, and men’s earrings are blurred so they will not become a “bad influence” to young people.

China still wants to offer some Western entertainment content, but only in sanitized format. In the sitcom “Friends,” Ross never explained to his parents that he had split from his wife because she was a lesbian living with another woman. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic, had no scenes involving homosexuality. The Chinese censors put a black dress on the heroine’s nude body in “The Shape of Water.”

Creative talents are now signing contracts that include clauses that make them liable for engaging in immoral behaviours or making politically sensitive comments. Celebrities can have their online presence scrubbed for having a nasty divorce, evading taxes, hiring a prostitute, or for no clear reason at all.

The release of a much-anticipated Chinese thriller was delayed last Christmas because one of the main actors in the movie was accused of taking drugs in 2015. It did not matter that the charges against him were dropped. All his shots had to be redone.

I used to doubt that young people would want to watch jingoistic propaganda movies. My generation could not run away from them fast enough, like Russians in the 1980s and 1990s. But I was wrong.

Last year, “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” a government-sponsored movie dramatizing an against-all-odds defeat of the United States during the Korean War, smashed box office records in China.

The most depressing aspect of the information dark age is collective amnesia.

Young censors are so ignorant about China’s forbidden history that they need to be taught before they start work. Otherwise, they will not even know to look for references to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests, or to the dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.

Some young people believe it is their responsibility to report to the authorities on speeches they deemed not in line with Communist Party values. Some teachers have lost their jobs or have been punished after their students reported on their “politically incorrect” speech.

Last summer, a local state security bureau in the southeastern province of Fujian awarded a college student $1,500 for reporting on an online user spreading “anti-revolutionary information.”

For many Chinese online users, the Great Firewall is seen as necessary to ward off the information and ideological imposition from the West. And after the Kremlin followed suit this month, banning many foreign websites, many in China cheered the decision.

“It’s very necessary to build the Great Firewall,” wrote the Weibo user @icebear_Like_. “Ideology is also a battlefront.”

When Russia blocked Facebook and limited Twitter this month, many Chinese internet users were surprised. Wait a moment, they said: The Russians could use Facebook and Twitter?

When Russia blocked Facebook and limited Twitter this month, many Chinese internet users were surprised. Wait a moment, they said: The Russians could use Facebook and Twitter? Both social media platforms have been banned in China since 2009. By blocking online platforms, shutting down the last vestige of Russia’s independent media and making it a crime to refer to the fighting in Ukraine as a war, the Kremlin has made it nearly impossible for the Russian people to get independent or international news after its invasion. Most Russians are taking in an alternative reality. That is exactly what China has been doing to its 1.4 billion people for years. Nearly all major Western websites are blocked in the country. A generation of Chinese have grown up in a very different information environment from the rest of the world. Mostly, they are left to believe in what Beijing tells them. “When people ask me how info environment within the Great Firewall is like,” Yaqiu Wang, a researcher at the Human Rights Watch in New York, wrote on Twitter about China’s censored internet, “I say, ‘Imagine the whole country is one giant QAnon.’” After years of testing and hesitation, Russia is heading toward harsher internet censorship akin to China’s Great Firewall to better control its people. China’s information dark age could be Russia’s future. “What is darkness?” asked a user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. “You can’t speak the truth, and you aren’t allowed to see the truth.” The two countries have the tendency to learn the worst from each other. Both the Russians and the Chinese were deeply scarred by disastrous eras under communism, which produced tyrants like Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong, gulags and labor camps, and man-made famines that starved millions to death. Now, Russia is learning from China how to exert control over its people in the social media age. The Ukraine crisis has only accelerated a process that started years earlier. In late 2015, China and Russia signed a strategic cooperation agreement on internet governance. A few months later, two of China’s most infamous proponents of censorship travelled to Moscow to preach their ideas of the internet to their Russian counterparts. “Unlimited freedom can lead to terrorism,” China’s internet czar at the time, Lu Wei, told his Russian audience at a forum. “If borders exist, they exist in cyberspace, too,” said Fang Binxing, known as “father of the Great Firewall.” China has not always been as tightly controlled as it has become under its top leader, Xi Jinping. In the 1990s and 2000s, investigative journalists broke many stories that led to the downfalls of government officials and to judiciary reforms. The internet and social media made it possible for the public to exchange ideas, debate important topics and pressure the government to respond to their concerns. There was censorship — at times very strict — and some people went to jail for voicing their political views. But there was a little room for free speech, as there was in Russia for much of Putin’s rule. Then, under Xi, a new era of control took hold, and it did not stop at news media and social media. It reached everything that touches human minds: books and cartoons, films and television, music and classrooms. The country regulates what textbooks children use, what type of novels writers can publish, and what kind of mobile games people can play. And it is all possible because the vast majority of Chinese live in the huge information bubble within the Great Firewall. The effects are clearly demonstrated in the overwhelmingly pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin online sentiment in China after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. A huge number of Chinese internet users have bought into the disinformation that the Russian and Chinese propaganda machines feed them. Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform, used to be the place to debate democracy and freedom. Now, the biggest influencers on Weibo are state-owned media outlets like the People’s Daily, the Global Times and China Central Television. Bilibili, a user-generated video site that used to be popular among young gamers and comic and anime fans, is now full of nationalistic young people known as little pinks. It requires a lot of perseverance for someone with independent thoughts to keep a presence on Weibo. A law scholar I know had set up 343 Weibo accounts from 2009 to 2014, only to see them deleted one by one. Some of them survived only a few minutes. Many people quit social media because they could not stand the abuses by government trolls and little pinks. They also do not want to risk of getting jailed for a post. The news media has suffered an even greater retreat. After the huge earthquake struck Sichuan province in May 2008, many Chinese news outlets sent journalists there despite a ban from the Central Propaganda Department. Their powerful, emotional coverage informed the nation of the tragedy and raised questions about the quality of many school buildings. That kind of reporting is long gone. When news happens, the Chinese public has no choice but to accept the government’s version of the truth. In January, when the government of the northwestern city of Xi’an imposed a strict lockdown that created chaos and crises not seen since Wuhan two years ago, few news outlets sent journalists to cover it. The only significant reporting the Chinese public got was a first-person blog post written by a former investigative journalist known by her pen name, Jiang Xue. A few weeks later, when the public was outraged by a video that showed a woman chained in a doorless shack, they had many questions about her, including whether she was a victim of human trafficking. No journalist was able to conduct any independent investigation. Despite the government issuing five statements about her case, many people remain sceptical and are worried that they may never know her real identity. State censors scrutinize books, videos, films, TV series and just about any creative content much more closely before they reach their audience. The goal is to make sure that everyone, especially the young generation, shares the same values. A well-known Chinese intellectual has written three books that might never get published. Another famous scholar has written five books with no hope of getting them past the censors. On Chinese TV, hip-hop singers and soccer players wear long sleeves or use makeup to cover their tattoos, and men’s earrings are blurred so they will not become a “bad influence” to young people. China still wants to offer some Western entertainment content, but only in sanitized format. In the sitcom “Friends,” Ross never explained to his parents that he had split from his wife because she was a lesbian living with another woman. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic, had no scenes involving homosexuality. The Chinese censors put a black dress on the heroine’s nude body in “The Shape of Water.” Creative talents are now signing contracts that include clauses that make them liable for engaging in immoral behaviours or making politically sensitive comments. Celebrities can have their online presence scrubbed for having a nasty divorce, evading taxes, hiring a prostitute, or for no clear reason at all. The release of a much-anticipated Chinese thriller was delayed last Christmas because one of the main actors in the movie was accused of taking drugs in 2015. It did not matter that the charges against him were dropped. All his shots had to be redone. I used to doubt that young people would want to watch jingoistic propaganda movies. My generation could not run away from them fast enough, like Russians in the 1980s and 1990s. But I was wrong. Last year, “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” a government-sponsored movie dramatizing an against-all-odds defeat of the United States during the Korean War, smashed box office records in China. The most depressing aspect of the information dark age is collective amnesia. Young censors are so ignorant about China’s forbidden history that they need to be taught before they start work. Otherwise, they will not even know to look for references to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests, or to the dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. Some young people believe it is their responsibility to report to the authorities on speeches they deemed not in line with Communist Party values. Some teachers have lost their jobs or have been punished after their students reported on their “politically incorrect” speech. Last summer, a local state security bureau in the southeastern province of Fujian awarded a college student $1,500 for reporting on an online user spreading “anti-revolutionary information.” For many Chinese online users, the Great Firewall is seen as necessary to ward off the information and ideological imposition from the West. And after the Kremlin followed suit this month, banning many foreign websites, many in China cheered the decision. “It’s very necessary to build the Great Firewall,” wrote the Weibo user @icebear_Like_. “Ideology is also a battlefront.”

China’s information dark age could be Russia’s future

Chinese authorities have reportedly drafted a&nbsp;regulation which would punish people who help internet users bypass its "Great firewall" and provide access to content not passed by regulators.

The proposed rule is still under consultation. It was unveiled over the weekend as China continues its clampdown on internet freedom.

The development comes as US tech giant Microsoft announced last month that it will be closing its career social site LinkedIn over "challenging operating environment".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinese-internet-watchdog-says-33-mobile-apps-broke-data-privacy-rules-382522">Also Read:&nbsp;Chinese internet watchdog says 33 mobile apps broke data privacy rules</a>

Microsoft said it was facing "compliance requirements" in China. The company's career site was launched in 2014.&nbsp;

China's "Great Firewall" has increasingly become the focus of international attention after authorities restricted local internet giants accusing them of monopolistic practices and failing to ensure privacy of users.

Watch:&nbsp;Dissident Chinese artist highlights China's poor record

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/dissident-chinese-artist-badiucaos-exhibition-in-italy-highlights-chinas-poor-record-429519/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China's social media giant Tencent had taken a hit in revenues after regulatory crackdown. Last month, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) had said large platforms needed to do more to ensure data protection.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/one-year-since-jack-mas-speech-alibaba-has-lost-344-billion-report-423908">Also Read:&nbsp;One year since Jack Ma's speech, Alibaba has lost $344 billion</a>

The SAMR instructed the "super-large platforms" with over 500 million users not to take data from users without their consent as it targeted the big local giants Tencent and Alibaba.

Last year Chinese regulators had launched an anti-trust investigation into Alibaba's founder Jack Ma's business and had suspended his&nbsp;multi-billion dollar IPO of his fintech firm Ant Group. China's e-commerce giant faced a massive $2.75 billion fine as Ma's net worth plunged.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-issues-draft-guidelines-for-internet-recommendation-algorithms-408694">Also Read:&nbsp;China issues draft guidelines for internet recommendation algorithms</a>

Authorities took the step after Ma reportedly said in a speech that the country's financial watchdogs were stifling innovation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

Chinese authorities have reportedly drafted a regulation which would punish people who help internet users bypass its "Great firewall" and provide access to content not passed by regulators.

Chinese authorities have reportedly drafted a regulation which would punish people who help internet users bypass its "Great firewall" and provide access to content not passed by regulators. The proposed rule is still under consultation. It was unveiled over the weekend as China continues its clampdown on internet freedom. The development comes as US tech giant Microsoft announced last month that it will be closing its career social site LinkedIn over "challenging operating environment". Also Read: Chinese internet watchdog says 33 mobile apps broke data privacy rules Microsoft said it was facing "compliance requirements" in China. The company's career site was launched in 2014. China's "Great Firewall" has increasingly become the focus of international attention after authorities restricted local internet giants accusing them of monopolistic practices and failing to ensure privacy of users. Watch: Dissident Chinese artist highlights China's poor record China's social media giant Tencent had taken a hit in revenues after regulatory crackdown. Last month, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) had said large platforms needed to do more to ensure data protection. Also Read: One year since Jack Ma's speech, Alibaba has lost $344 billion The SAMR instructed the "super-large platforms" with over 500 million users not to take data from users without their consent as it targeted the big local giants Tencent and Alibaba. Last year Chinese regulators had launched an anti-trust investigation into Alibaba's founder Jack Ma's business and had suspended his multi-billion dollar IPO of his fintech firm Ant Group. China's e-commerce giant faced a massive $2.75 billion fine as Ma's net worth plunged. Also Read: China issues draft guidelines for internet recommendation algorithms Authorities took the step after Ma reportedly said in a speech that the country's financial watchdogs were stifling innovation. (With inputs from Agencies)

Now, China targets individuals who help users bypass 'Great Firewall'

According to reports, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-says-china-still-withholding-critical-info-on-covid-origins-409068">China </a>has ordered private firms to migrate from its cloud services into the government's infrastructure.

Tech giants Alibaba and Tencent have reportedly been asked to ensure the data migration process by the assets supervision and administration commission.

The assets watchdog has reportedly asked the private players not to build data centres or buy new servers,&nbsp;&nbsp;a&nbsp;report claimed.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-business-watch-chinas-industrial-profit-growth-slows-on-delta-outbreak-floods-high-costs-408764/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The move is likely to hit Huawei, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-warns-34-tech-firms-to-rectify-any-anti-competitive-measures-after-record-alibaba-fine-377323">Alibaba</a> and Tencent. The government-run cloud service is called "Guoziyun" which means "state asset cloud".

All data will should be&nbsp;moved by&nbsp;September 30, 2022, according to the assets watchdog.

"As of today, all companies should not sign new contracts with third-party cloud platforms, or continue cloud resource rental agreements," a document from the watchdog said.

A report had claimed earlier that China planned to block tech firms with large amounts of sensitive user data from listing abroad in a move intended to ensure regulatory clampdown on private industries.

The Wall Street Journal report said Chinese firms in less sensitive sectors would also need regulatory approval to list abroad.

Chinese authorities had earlier investigated ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing for "cybersecurity issues" after it was listed in the New York stock exchange.

Reports said firms with over a million users need to seek regulatory approval before listing abroad.

Last week China had passed the new online privacy law asking firms to reduce data collection and obtain user consent. The law aimed to crackdown on firms allegedly profiting over personal data. The new law is reportedly modelled on European Union's General Data Protection Regulation.

Chinese firms have raised billions in the US markets, however, the move by authorities is being seen as a policy to tighten control over Chinese IPOs in America.

(With inputs from Agencies)

According to reports, China has ordered private firms to migrate from its cloud services into the government's infrastructure. Tech giants Alibaba and Tencent have reportedly been asked to ensure the data migration process by the assets supervision and administration commission.

According to reports, China has ordered private firms to migrate from its cloud services into the government's infrastructure. Tech giants Alibaba and Tencent have reportedly been asked to ensure the data migration process by the assets supervision and administration commission. The assets watchdog has reportedly asked the private players not to build data centres or buy new servers, a report claimed. Watch: The move is likely to hit Huawei, Alibaba and Tencent. The government-run cloud service is called "Guoziyun" which means "state asset cloud". All data will should be moved by September 30, 2022, according to the assets watchdog. "As of today, all companies should not sign new contracts with third-party cloud platforms, or continue cloud resource rental agreements," a document from the watchdog said. A report had claimed earlier that China planned to block tech firms with large amounts of sensitive user data from listing abroad in a move intended to ensure regulatory clampdown on private industries. The Wall Street Journal report said Chinese firms in less sensitive sectors would also need regulatory approval to list abroad. Chinese authorities had earlier investigated ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing for "cybersecurity issues" after it was listed in the New York stock exchange. Reports said firms with over a million users need to seek regulatory approval before listing abroad. Last week China had passed the new online privacy law asking firms to reduce data collection and obtain user consent. The law aimed to crackdown on firms allegedly profiting over personal data. The new law is reportedly modelled on European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. Chinese firms have raised billions in the US markets, however, the move by authorities is being seen as a policy to tighten control over Chinese IPOs in America. (With inputs from Agencies)

Now, China asks private firms to migrate data to government-run cloud services

China's regulators have banned 40 more domestic live streamers as part of efforts to curb the "illegal or irregular"activities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-targeting-us-election-infrastructure-with-cyberattacks-says-trumps-aide-319279">Also Read:&nbsp;China targeting US election infrastructure with cyberattacks, says Trump's aide</a>

The China Association of Performing Arts has already banned over 200 live streamers after blacklisting them two years ago. In a statement, the association said that it will never "tolerate pornography, vulgar content, online gambling, online fraud and other violations of national laws and regulations”.

It has also banned 48 broadcasters from live streaming for five years as President Xi Jinping tightens control over the internet in the country.&nbsp;

The country's cyber watchdog had earlier called out live streaming platforms Tencent-backed Douyu&nbsp;and Huya including Bilibili for uploading lowbrow content.

According to the Chinese live streaming report, live streaming has become the most popular video format with over 200 platforms which allows users to have "face-time" like feature and is widely used to sell products.

It is widely used in the gaming industry with apps including Panda TV, Chushou, Huya and Douyu.

China's regulators have banned 40 more domestic live streamers as part of efforts to curb the "illegal or irregular"activities amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also Read: China targeting US election infrastructure with cyberattacks, says Trump's aide The China Association of Performing Arts has already banned over 200 live streamers after blacklisting them two years ago.

China's regulators have banned 40 more domestic live streamers as part of efforts to curb the "illegal or irregular"activities amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also Read: China targeting US election infrastructure with cyberattacks, says Trump's aide The China Association of Performing Arts has already banned over 200 live streamers after blacklisting them two years ago. In a statement, the association said that it will never "tolerate pornography, vulgar content, online gambling, online fraud and other violations of national laws and regulations”. It has also banned 48 broadcasters from live streaming for five years as President Xi Jinping tightens control over the internet in the country. The country's cyber watchdog had earlier called out live streaming platforms Tencent-backed Douyu and Huya including Bilibili for uploading lowbrow content. According to the Chinese live streaming report, live streaming has become the most popular video format with over 200 platforms which allows users to have "face-time" like feature and is widely used to sell products. It is widely used in the gaming industry with apps including Panda TV, Chushou, Huya and Douyu.

China bans more live streamers in domestic crackdown on cyberspace

China is changing the strategic equations&nbsp;amid COVID-19 pandemic crisis. There are serious allegations against&nbsp;China that it hid the information about coronavirus, trying&nbsp;to mislead the world. China has also, recently, shown aggression against India at Galwan valley and both sides faced casualties in a 'violent face-off'.

China is also facing a backlash on social media. Serious complaints are emerging on the social media platforms that they are censoring the content which is remotely against the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).&nbsp;

The digital world gives&nbsp;voice to millions whose voices were not typically heard. Social media platforms are expected to handle the diverse viewpoints with tolerance but is it really happening?&nbsp;

Popular websites, including Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, are banned in mainland China. Only official accounts of ambassadors or mouthpiece of Chinese governments have access to social media websites. So, no information from mainland China can come to us. We can see only those things which China wants us to show and the same goes for Chinese citizens - they can only see the things which their government wants&nbsp;to reach them.

But the issue is much deeper than it seems. China is intimidating social media companies, who have offices in China, to remove content which is not suitable to the CPC.&nbsp;

Recently, popular Indian comedian and mimicry artist Saloni Gaur, who is popularly known as Nazma Aapa, had posted the video in which she made jokes on China. “So @TikToK_IN has removed my last video which had jokes on China, jaisa desh, vaisi app. Kuchh bolne ki freedom hi nahi hai,” she tweeted this later. There are similar instances in the US of America where TikTok has locked the accounts of users who had criticised China or took jibe at them.&nbsp;

Last year, The Guardian had accessed the documents, according to which, China had instructed TikTok, Chinese-owned popular social media application, to remove videos featuring Tiananmen square and Tibetan freedom. These contents were categorised as a violation of “hate speech and religion”. In addition, employees of the TikTok US of America were reportedly pressurised to remove “culturally problematic” videos which might offend the ruling party of China.&nbsp;

TikTok is managed by the Beijing-based company, hence, this can be expected but Chinese censorships are taking control over other platforms too.&nbsp;

For example, Google. On the play store, TikTok was rated 1.2 with approx 29 million reviews but after a few days, the rating was up to 4.4 and play store removed almost 9 million reviews. There was no clarification from the company over this manipulation.&nbsp;

In India, a movement was building up to remove the China-owned apps and for that purpose, one developer had made the application “Remove China Apps” which was available on the play store and was trending in top-free applications, but that application was deleted from the play store. However, after much outrage from the Indian side, it has been reinstated now.&nbsp;

On June 11, Zoom wrote a long blogpost and accepted that China has intimidated them to remove the content of pro-democracy Chinese activists based in the US.

Not only these, there are complaints that YouTube is also automatically censoring comments which features the word “communist bandit” and “50-cent party” in reference to the Communist Party of China. Comments featuring these two words were getting removed in just 15 seconds.&nbsp;

This internet censorship&nbsp;by China is really worrying. This is happening at a large scale which goes unresolved, and hence, we only see things which China wants us to show. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

China is changing the strategic equations amid COVID-19 pandemic crisis. There are serious allegations against China that it hid the information about coronavirus, trying to mislead the world.

China is changing the strategic equations amid COVID-19 pandemic crisis. There are serious allegations against China that it hid the information about coronavirus, trying to mislead the world. China has also, recently, shown aggression against India at Galwan valley and both sides faced casualties in a 'violent face-off'. China is also facing a backlash on social media. Serious complaints are emerging on the social media platforms that they are censoring the content which is remotely against the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). The digital world gives voice to millions whose voices were not typically heard. Social media platforms are expected to handle the diverse viewpoints with tolerance but is it really happening? Popular websites, including Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, are banned in mainland China. Only official accounts of ambassadors or mouthpiece of Chinese governments have access to social media websites. So, no information from mainland China can come to us. We can see only those things which China wants us to show and the same goes for Chinese citizens - they can only see the things which their government wants to reach them. But the issue is much deeper than it seems. China is intimidating social media companies, who have offices in China, to remove content which is not suitable to the CPC. Recently, popular Indian comedian and mimicry artist Saloni Gaur, who is popularly known as Nazma Aapa, had posted the video in which she made jokes on China. “So @TikToK_IN has removed my last video which had jokes on China, jaisa desh, vaisi app. Kuchh bolne ki freedom hi nahi hai,” she tweeted this later. There are similar instances in the US of America where TikTok has locked the accounts of users who had criticised China or took jibe at them. Last year, The Guardian had accessed the documents, according to which, China had instructed TikTok, Chinese-owned popular social media application, to remove videos featuring Tiananmen square and Tibetan freedom. These contents were categorised as a violation of “hate speech and religion”. In addition, employees of the TikTok US of America were reportedly pressurised to remove “culturally problematic” videos which might offend the ruling party of China. TikTok is managed by the Beijing-based company, hence, this can be expected but Chinese censorships are taking control over other platforms too. For example, Google. On the play store, TikTok was rated 1.2 with approx 29 million reviews but after a few days, the rating was up to 4.4 and play store removed almost 9 million reviews. There was no clarification from the company over this manipulation. In India, a movement was building up to remove the China-owned apps and for that purpose, one developer had made the application “Remove China Apps” which was available on the play store and was trending in top-free applications, but that application was deleted from the play store. However, after much outrage from the Indian side, it has been reinstated now. On June 11, Zoom wrote a long blogpost and accepted that China has intimidated them to remove the content of pro-democracy Chinese activists based in the US. Not only these, there are complaints that YouTube is also automatically censoring comments which features the word “communist bandit” and “50-cent party” in reference to the Communist Party of China. Comments featuring these two words were getting removed in just 15 seconds. This internet censorship by China is really worrying. This is happening at a large scale which goes unresolved, and hence, we only see things which China wants us to show. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There's little known, much unknown about internet censorship by China

Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a tech summit declared that the company was building a "censored" version of the search engine for China under&nbsp;project "Dragonfly".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-whatsapp-must-comply-with-indias-data-localisation-policy-says-rbi-as-deadline-ends-171679">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-whatsapp-must-comply-with-indias-data-localisation-policy-says-rbi-as-deadline-ends-171679">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-whatsapp-must-comply-with-indias-data-localisation-policy-says-rbi-as-deadline-ends-171679">&nbsp;Google, WhatsApp must comply with India's data localisation policy, says RBI as deadline ends</a>

“We are compelled by our mission to provide information to everyone, and China is 20 per cent of the world's population,” the India-born Google head said.

China has officially blocked Facebook, Google, Twitter and other social media sites. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has been trying to enter the lucrative Chinese market for years but hasn't been officially accepted by Chinese authorities.&nbsp;

Google had shut its operation in China in 2010 declaring that it won't censor search results. The country runs its own version of search and social media sites.

Addressing fears that China may try to manipulate the company, Pichai said: “People don't understand fully, but you're always balancing a set of values in every new country."

“It's a wonderful, innovative market. We wanted to learn what it would look like if we were in China, so that's what we built internally," Pichai said, adding,"given how important the market is and how many users there are, we feel obliged to think hard about this problem and take a longer-term view."

"We don't know whether we would or could do this in China but we felt it was important to explore," he said.

Pichai asserted that Google would be able to serve "99% of the queries" made by people in the new project. The Google CEO added that the company had considered China's strong censorship rules while giving the go-ahead for the project.

Pichai had earlier met Republican senators over the issue last month, reports said even as the company faced criticism over possible Chinese repression. The Google CEO is set to appear before the US House panel next month as Republicans want to question Google&nbsp;about whether its search algorithms are influenced by human bias.

Pichai&nbsp;is now also&nbsp;likely to be grilled on the new project.

&nbsp;

Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a tech summit declared that the company was building a "censored" version of the search engine for China under project "Dragonfly". Also Read: Google, WhatsApp must comply with India's data localisation policy, says RBI as deadline ends “We are compelled by our mission to provide information to everyone, and China is 20 per cent of the world's population,” the India-born Google head said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a tech summit declared that the company was building a "censored" version of the search engine for China under project "Dragonfly". Also Read: Google, WhatsApp must comply with India's data localisation policy, says RBI as deadline ends “We are compelled by our mission to provide information to everyone, and China is 20 per cent of the world's population,” the India-born Google head said. China has officially blocked Facebook, Google, Twitter and other social media sites. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has been trying to enter the lucrative Chinese market for years but hasn't been officially accepted by Chinese authorities. Google had shut its operation in China in 2010 declaring that it won't censor search results. The country runs its own version of search and social media sites. Addressing fears that China may try to manipulate the company, Pichai said: “People don't understand fully, but you're always balancing a set of values in every new country." “It's a wonderful, innovative market. We wanted to learn what it would look like if we were in China, so that's what we built internally," Pichai said, adding,"given how important the market is and how many users there are, we feel obliged to think hard about this problem and take a longer-term view." "We don't know whether we would or could do this in China but we felt it was important to explore," he said. Pichai asserted that Google would be able to serve "99% of the queries" made by people in the new project. The Google CEO added that the company had considered China's strong censorship rules while giving the go-ahead for the project. Pichai had earlier met Republican senators over the issue last month, reports said even as the company faced criticism over possible Chinese repression. The Google CEO is set to appear before the US House panel next month as Republicans want to question Google about whether its search algorithms are influenced by human bias. Pichai is now also likely to be grilled on the new project.

Watch: Google's Dragonfly project to show 'censored' search for China

China has launched probes into three of its largest social networking platforms over the suspected dissemination of violence and obscenity -- the latest move aimed at sanitising the country&#39;s increasingly closed-off internet.

The world&#39;s most popular messaging service WeChat, the Twitter-like Weibo as well as the Tieba discussion forum are being investigated, according to an announcement from the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday.

Citing reports from internet users, the administration said other users on WeChat, Weibo and Tieba&#39;s platforms &quot;have disseminated content showing violence, terrorism, fake rumours, obscene pornography and more&quot;.&nbsp;

Such materials &quot;endanger national security, public security, and the social order&quot; and are illegal under a cybersecurity law that came into force in June, the agency said.&nbsp;

China&#39;s internet is already considered one of the most tightly-controlled in the world, with a censorship system known as the &quot;Great Firewall&quot;.

But restrictive measures have multiplied in recent months, as celebrity gossip blogs and online video streaming sites alike have fallen victim to the new web regulations.

Last month, the Cyberspace Administration directed the country&#39;s biggest technology firms -- including Baidu, Tencent, and Sohu -- to shut down accounts on their networks that publish &quot;bad information&quot;.

The content was deemed to misinterpret policy directives and distort Chinese Communist Party history.

Another mandate in the new cybersecurity law requires online platforms to get a licence to post news reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues.

There has also been increasing concern among internet users that they will completely lose access to virtual private networks (VPN), software which allows people to circumvent the Great Firewall.

In January China&#39;s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced it would be banning the use of unlicensed VPN providers.

While there has been little clarity on what exactly the rule meant and how, or even if, it would be implemented, Apple said last month that it was removing VPNs from its China app store.

&quot;The Red Guard generation is in power now,&quot; one Weibo commenter said of the latest investigation, alluding to a 1960s youth paramilitary movement that tormented and attacked people whom they perceived to be opposed to Mao Zedong&#39;s Cultural Revolution.

Citing reports from internet users, the administration said other users on WeChat, Weibo, and Tieba's platforms 'have disseminated content showing violence, terrorism, fake rumours, obscene pornography and more'

China has launched probes into three of its largest social networking platforms over the suspected dissemination of violence and obscenity -- the latest move aimed at sanitising the country's increasingly closed-off internet. The world's most popular messaging service WeChat, the Twitter-like Weibo as well as the Tieba discussion forum are being investigated, according to an announcement from the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday. Citing reports from internet users, the administration said other users on WeChat, Weibo and Tieba's platforms "have disseminated content showing violence, terrorism, fake rumours, obscene pornography and more". Such materials "endanger national security, public security, and the social order" and are illegal under a cybersecurity law that came into force in June, the agency said. China's internet is already considered one of the most tightly-controlled in the world, with a censorship system known as the "Great Firewall". But restrictive measures have multiplied in recent months, as celebrity gossip blogs and online video streaming sites alike have fallen victim to the new web regulations. Last month, the Cyberspace Administration directed the country's biggest technology firms -- including Baidu, Tencent, and Sohu -- to shut down accounts on their networks that publish "bad information". The content was deemed to misinterpret policy directives and distort Chinese Communist Party history. Another mandate in the new cybersecurity law requires online platforms to get a licence to post news reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues. There has also been increasing concern among internet users that they will completely lose access to virtual private networks (VPN), software which allows people to circumvent the Great Firewall. In January China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced it would be banning the use of unlicensed VPN providers. While there has been little clarity on what exactly the rule meant and how, or even if, it would be implemented, Apple said last month that it was removing VPNs from its China app store. "The Red Guard generation is in power now," one Weibo commenter said of the latest investigation, alluding to a 1960s youth paramilitary movement that tormented and attacked people whom they perceived to be opposed to Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution.

China probes social media platforms for 'obscenity'