Censorship of WeChat in China during COVID-19 outbreak poses public health risk, researchers say

One day after a group of Chinese doctors went to social media to warn of the emergence of a mysterious virus similar to SARS, one of the most popular live streaming platforms China's popular quietly added nearly four dozen keywords to its blacklist, including unknown pneumonia in Wuhan, Variation of SARS and SARS outbreak in Wuhan.

The world would soon be notified of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is believed to have originated in the city of Wuhan and to date has resulted in nearly 90,000 confirmed cases of the resulting disease, COVID-19, and 3000 deaths in the world.

China has long censored what its citizens can see and say online. But a new report from researchers at the Citizen Lab at the University of Torontos' Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy highlights the vast scope of information deleted about the virus and its implications for public health.

As coronavirus spreads, China loses control online

Using a combination of reverse engineering and automated testing methods, the researchers examined WeChat, China, a widely used messaging, social media, and mobile payment app, and YY, a broadcast platform. popular live.

They found that the censored documents included government criticism and references to ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who died six weeks after raising the alarm and whose repression and ill-treatment galvanized the country. But censorship has spread to even factual descriptions of influenza pneumonia and public health messages about hand washing and wearing face masks. This censorship can threaten vital communication related to information and disease prevention, according to the report.

What is interesting or important in this case is that this event is more of a public health problem rather than a simple party congress or political events which do not affect a wider range people, "said Lotus Ruan, a report author and researcher at the Citizen Lab.

During the study period between January 1 and February 15, researchers identified 516 keyword combinations on WeChat related to COVID-19 that blocked content. They included a wide range of topics, including discussions on the responses of central leaders to the epidemic, Dr. Li and collective action.

A 2016 Citizen Lab report said that WeChats' parent company Tencent implements one application model, two systems with heavier censorship for Chinese users and less restrictive rules for overseas users . However, Canadians have also observed apparent censorship on the app.

Ou Kehui, a resident of Richmond, British Columbia, said her account was suspended twice in February after sharing videos of the Chinese lawyer and the self-proclaimed citizen journalist Chen Qiushi in a group conversation. Mr. Chen had posted videos from Wuhan and has not been seen since February 6.

Ms. Ou added that some content she shares is often not received by censorship users in China, which would often go unnoticed at the start.

According to the WeChats website, an account can be blocked for several reasons, including if the user is reported to have sent obscene content, violent documents, scams, inappropriate rumors or annoying advertisements, or if the & # 39; user has been reported multiple times by other users.

Last month, Richmond resident Taylor Zhao saw his WeChat account suspended hours after having a text conversation on an online petition calling on the Chinese national legislature to protect citizens' right to freedom of expression. following the death of Dr. Lis.

The petition, launched by Chinese academics and signed by hundreds of Chinese citizens, lists five demands from Beijing, of which February 6 will be proclaimed National Day of Freedom of Expression (Li Wenliang Day).

Mr Zhao said he suspected the suspension was related to a conversation he had had with one of these academics, Xu Zhangrun, who himself had been punished for being be against the removal of President Xi Jinping's term limits.

We live in Canada, a free land, but (the app) keeps our feet and fists tied and (we) dare not speak, said Mr. Zhao, Canadian citizen. Our freedom is actually restricted. We do not live in a completely free environment.

The report concludes that censorship of the COVID-19 epidemic is troubling and shows the need for an in-depth analysis of the effects of information control during a global public health crisis .

Combating disinformation and uninformed speculation related to the epidemic can help control public fear and suppress information that would mislead people about the best way to protect themselves, "the report said.

"However, restricting general discussions and factual information has the opposite effect and limits public awareness and reaction.

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