China wants to censor all online comments and hold posters responsible for reactions
Chinese authorities may force social media platforms to modify any user comments and censor those deemed ‘harmful’ before they are published.
On June 17, the country’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), published a draft update (opens in new tab) According to its 2017 law regulating the country’s censorship machine. The platform’s content moderation teams will be required to filter and report any illegal content to the authorities.
All types of comments will be targeted, from replies to original posts and real-time comments on streaming video – so called ‘bullet chats’. What’s more, for the first time the creator of a post will also be held responsible for others commenting on it.
The new directives have raised concerns over more censorship in a country where the world’s strictest rules are already in place. The use of security tools like the best China VPN is widespread among internet users who want to bypass these strict rules.
Even though the new directives are yet to be implemented, the fear of further curbs on people’s freedom of expression remains. Also, as the South China Morning Post argues (opens in new tab)Draft regulations in the country are usually passed without major amendments.
Censorship status in China
China’s Great Firewall is already infamous for what Freedom House describes (opens in new tab) As “the world’s most restricted media environment and its most sophisticated system of censorship, especially online”.
Access to all western social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube has been blocked for quite some time. So are other services like Google, Wikipedia, Netflix and major foreign newspapers like BBC, New York Times and Reuters.
Most of all, keyword-filtering algorithms are already in use to censor controversial political content on Chinese platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. This is why internet users need to be creative and find new ways to spread their messages.
However, it doesn’t always go according to plan. The last example came earlier this month when a famous Chinese influencer suddenly cut his internet connection while on-air. As told by the insider (opens in new tab)Li Jiaqi promoting ice cream the size of a military tank to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre.
How can a VPN help?
A VPN is a security tool that aims to protect users’ data, their privacy and anonymity. Short for Virtual Private Network, they also allow you to bypass strong Internet restrictions.
How? Each time you connect to the software, you’ll need to choose one of the available servers – all the best VPN services offer a wide range of fast and secure locations around the world. Your real IP address is hidden so that your ISP can be tricked into thinking you are located in another country, depending on where your chosen server is located.
The Chinese authorities strictly regulate the use of VPNs, working hard to find new and effective strategies for VPN blocks. This is why you should choose your security service carefully. For example, VPN services that implement obscure technology are less vulnerable to such attacks. Check out our updated guide to the best VPNs for China before making your selection.
