How Chinese Social Media Platforms Control Information About COVID-19 · Global Voices

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Canada's Internet censorship research organization, Citizen Lab, highlights in its latest report:Censored Contagion: How Coronavirus Information Is Managed On Chinese Social Networks", That on December 31, 2019, China's web censors introduced a new list of 45 keywords related to coronaviruses to block online discussion about the new epidemic of coronavirus (COVID-19). According to the authors of the report , the scope of censorship expanded in February 2020, with the identification of 516 keyword combinations related to coronaviruses blocked on the messaging and social media application WeChat between January 1 and February 15.

Research notes that at the initial stage of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, censorship has curbed public alerts about the threat of the then unknown virus. Later, the censored content was expanded to include criticism from key leaders and senior officials, government policies, speculative stories, any references to Dr. Li Wenliang, and Chinese Internet users' requests for political change. Before being investigated by the police, Dr. Liwas was among a number of doctors based in Wuhan to first sound the alarm about the new coronavirus. He died of the virus on February 6, triggering online criticism of Chinese authorities.

Coronavirus blockage updated on December 31, 2019

Citizen Lab research found that on December 31, 2019, one day after a number of medical workers – including the late Dr. Li – attempted to alert the public to the spread of a a new SARS virus, Chinese web censors have updated the list. conditions blocked on social networks.

YY, a Chinese streaming platform, introduced 45 blocked coronavirus terms in its mobile app on December 31, 2019. The list included Wuhan unknown Pneumonia), unknown SRAS (), SARS variation), P4 virus research labP4), Wuhan fresh food market) and Wuhan censored an epidemic).

As social media platforms in China are forced to follow the instructions of the country's propaganda and e-government authorities, the results show that Beijing was well aware of the epidemic since last December. However, instead of informing the public about the health threat, it has banned the dissemination of news about the virus online. The same day, the new blocked conditions were introduced, eight Internet users were arrested for having spread rumors. It was later revealed that rumors were medical workers – among them, the late Dr Li – discussing the epidemic with family members or peers from the WeChat groups.

In fact, WeChat has adopted a more sophisticated censorship system. While certain sensitive terms like "June 4" and "Tiananmen Square" are completely blocked, the app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the semantic meaning of the texts – which means that only a certain group of keywords would trigger censorship. The research team therefore carried out tests on WeChat between January 1 and February 15, identifying at least 516 combinations of blocked keywords. If a user sent messages containing these combinations, the messages would remain blocked on the server and would not be delivered to the intended recipient.

The research team then grouped the keywords into content categories:

The censored keyword combinations related to COVID-19 cover a wide range of topics, including discussions of central leaders' responses to the epidemic, critical and neutral references to government policies on managing the epidemic. ; epidemic, responses to the epidemic in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao, speculative and factual information about the disease, references to Dr. Li Wenliang and collective action.

Criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping Censored

Among the 516 combinations of key words, 192 are linked to the high brass of China and their role in the management of the epidemic. In fact, 87% of terms in this category contain references to Chinese President Xi Jinping, such as Xi Jinping + formalism + epidemic prevention (++), Xi Jinping goes to Wuhan (), someone (a substitution by Xi Jinping) + in person (+) and Xi Jinping + epidemic spread (+).

After Wuhan's lockdown on January 23, many netizens wondered why the Chinese leader hadn't gone in person to lead the battle against COVID-19. Instead, Xi said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visit the center of the epidemic. This criticism quickly became a key target of censors, as shown by the censorship schemes above.

The second most censored content terms were related to criticism from the government and institutions related to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and their policies regarding containment of the epidemic. Up to 138 combinations of keywords have been found in this category, including the pun on COVID-19, calling it the bureaucracy virus (), as well as local officials + epidemics + central government + concealment (+++), Wuhan + CCP + crisis + Beijing (+++), hold + criticize China + two sessions + cover (+++), and CCP + pneumonia + performance + rule (+++).

Besides the CCP and central government authorities, other institutions that have initiated semantic censorship include the Chinese Red Cross, the Wuhan Virology Institute, and the China Central Television Station (CCTV).

Chinese Red Cross has been strongly criticized for corruption in processing donations from citizens in Wuhan. As for the Wuhan Institute of Virology, speculation was circulating on social networks since the end of January that the Novel Coronavirus came from his laboratory. Meanwhile, CCTV has been criticized by internet users for its censorship practices, such as closing the comment function of its live stream from the Spring Festival Gala.

Critics of central and local government policies to fight the epidemic have also been heavily censored, as evidenced by keyword combinations like central quarantine + Wuhan lockout (+), directions of the epidemic ; public opinion + Politburo + central management + standing committee (+ + +), public policy advice + Politburo + central management + standing committee + + + and since January 3 + United States notified + d & Epidemic, (13 (+) 30 (+)).

Although the mandatory quarantine measures in Wuhan and other cities have been lauded for their effectiveness in containing the spread of the virus, residents of Wuhan were angry that the government had offered little support in the early days of isolation, leaving medical workers and their patients in dire straits.

Chinese netizens shocked by high court statement Heilongjiang who in his interpretation of existing criminal law, stressed that anyone who intentionally and maliciously spreads the virus to jeopardize public safety could be sentenced to death. As more and more cities and regions in China demanded that close contacts of COVID-19 confirmed patients be quarantined, there were conflicts between law enforcement officials and citizens who refused to subscribe to the policy. The court's statement therefore served as a warning to those considering resistance.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunyings daily briefing of February 3, 2020, about the Chinese government that notified the United States of the (Chinese) epidemic and control measures a total of 30 times since January 3, has generated online mockery because Chinese citizens have not were informed of the outbreak only after an interview with CCTV pulmonologist, Dr. Zhong Nanshans, on January 20. People were shocked that even in the midst of the epidemic, CCP leaders continued to consider political propaganda more important than public responsibility.

Dr. Li Wenliang and the demands for political reform

News of Dr. Li's death and calls for political reform also triggered censorship. Citizen Lab research has identified 26 combinations in this content category, including coronavirus + human transmission + Li Wenliang (++), epidemic + color revolution + Li Wenliang (++), epidemic + virus + Li Wenliang + government central (+++), Wuhan + 5 requests (+) and Wuhan + Release +. Borrowing political vocabulary as 5 demands and freeing from Hong Kong protests in 2019, many Internet users have called for free speech reforms after learning of the death of Dr. Li.

The news of the COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan is also under censorship. About 99 keyword combinations in the search were related to Chinese-speaking regions, such as medical workers + strike + partial closure of border control posts (++), Carrie Lam + Puppet (+), mask + Taiwan + export + nation (++ +), Macao + government + wear a mask (++).

In Hong Kong, CEO Carrie Lams refused to tighten control at border checkpoints after the Lunar New Year, in the face of strong public criticism; there was also speculation that Beijing had not approved the border control measures. Medical workers at government-funded public hospitals have taken the initiative to go on strike to pressure the Hong Kong government to tighten border controls, and pro-Beijing groups in Hong Kong lobbied the government-appointed hospital authority to punish its employees. In Taiwan, the government's decision to ban the export of masks has caused uproar on social media in mainland China.

Speculation and facts are both subject to censorship

The report found 38 keyword combinations linked to speculative or unofficial allegations, such as the out of control Wuhan pneumonia epidemic (), "Wuhan + Infection + tens of thousands" (++) and "Shanghai + Context + Medicine + Virus" (+++).

Although some university studies have valued as the scale of the epidemic could reach hundreds of thousands of infected people in Wuhan, such discussions are not allowed in China. Even if official March 6 data showed that there were 49,797 infections in Wuhan, the Chinese government never admitted that the city was out of control, even after the city was locked on January 23, during which many residents from Wuhan called for help on Weibo and WeChat.

Government-affiliated media reports also triggered the blocking of WeChat, via 23 keyword combinations, including Relevant + Disease Control + Travel Ban + Virus (+++), and Pneumonia + Disease Control & Prevention + Virus + Medical Journal (+++).

March 1, China Provisions on ecological governance of online information content has become effective. These regulations provide a legal framework for enforcing content platforms censor harmful or loosely defined negative information, including exaggerated headlines, celebrity gossip, vulgar or sexually suggestive content, and inappropriate comments and descriptions of natural disasters and large-scale incidents.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, many critics have voiced concerns about the failure of the Chinese media to alert and inform the public, and the implications of such a crackdown on the media. Information on global public health. In its report, Citizen Lab highlighted the need for international society to tackle the problem:

Censorship of the COVID-19 epidemic is troubling and shows the need for a thorough 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. However, restricting general discussions and factual information has the opposite effect and limits public awareness and reaction.