Internet censorship in China | The Great Firewall of China | SHIFT
Summary
TLDRThe video explores the unique landscape of China's internet, shaped by strict censorship and the dominance of domestic tech giants like Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent. These companies replace Western platforms such as Google and Facebook, offering alternatives like WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin (TikTok). Despite government control, China's internet is vibrant in areas like live-streaming and mobile payments. However, extensive surveillance and content moderation, often automated, limit political discourse. While innovation thrives, the high level of state control raises concerns about digital authoritarianism and censorship.
Takeaways
- 🌐 Over 800 million people in China use the internet, but it's vastly different from the rest of the world due to restrictions and censorship.
- 🚫 Platforms like Facebook and Google are blocked in China, with local tech giants Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent dominating the industry.
- 🔍 Baidu replaces Google for search, Alibaba leads in e-commerce, and Tencent's WeChat is more popular than Facebook, offering a range of services including mobile payments.
- 💳 WeChat Pay is widely used in China, replacing cash in everyday transactions such as grocery shopping and doctor appointments.
- 📱 Chinese apps like Douyin (TikTok) and Billy Billy are innovative leaders in video streaming and social networking, with millions of users.
- 🚨 China's government closely monitors and censors online content using AI and human moderators, blocking foreign websites and filtering content before it reaches the public.
- 🖼️ Image recognition software and algorithms are used to block sensitive content in real time, such as photos that the government deems inappropriate or politically sensitive.
- 👮 Surveillance in China, especially in regions like Xinjiang, is extensive, with personal data being collected and monitored to control dissent and track behavior.
- 📲 The Communist Party uses technology and apps like 'Xuexi Qiangguo' to promote propaganda and enforce political loyalty through gamified incentives.
- 🤐 Despite strict censorship, some online political debate and criticism are possible in China, though discussions about specific leaders or organizing collective action are heavily restricted and censored.
Q & A
What are the main tech giants in China, and what services do they replace?
-The main tech giants in China are Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, also known as BAT. Baidu replaces Google, Alibaba is dominant in e-commerce, and Tencent is more popular than Facebook.
What are some alternatives to popular Western apps in China?
-In China, Baidu is used instead of Google Maps, Weibo instead of Twitter, and WeChat instead of WhatsApp. Additionally, Chinese users use platforms like iQiyi and Youku for video streaming, replacing YouTube and Netflix.
How do Chinese internet users differ from European users in adopting new technologies?
-Chinese internet users are considered fast adopters of new platforms and technologies. For example, WeChat, a super app used for social networking and mobile payments, has more than 1 billion monthly users.
What is the role of WeChat in China's internet ecosystem?
-WeChat is central to daily life in China. It is not only a social networking platform but also the leading mobile payment service. Users can use WeChat to pay in supermarkets, restaurants, book doctor appointments, and more.
How does content moderation work in China?
-In China, content moderation is referred to as content management. Domestic companies like WeChat use algorithms to preemptively delete sensitive content before it reaches the public, ensuring compliance with government regulations.
What is the Great Firewall of China, and how does it function?
-The Great Firewall of China is a vast system that filters and blocks foreign websites and content deemed non-compliant with Chinese government regulations. Traffic must pass through a limited number of servers, making it easier for the government to block foreign sites like Google and Wikipedia.
How does the Chinese government use AI and human moderation to monitor live streaming?
-The Chinese government uses a combination of AI and over 1,000 human content managers to monitor live streams. They look for violations like pornography, violence, or even smaller infractions like smoking or showing large tattoos.
How has political censorship on the internet changed under Xi Jinping's leadership?
-Under Xi Jinping, political censorship has increased significantly. The internet in China has become much more politically quiet, though it remains commercially vibrant and culturally innovative. Sensitive content, particularly political dissent, is heavily censored.
What role does technology play in government surveillance in China?
-The Chinese government uses various technological tools for surveillance, including apps that track citizens' activities and data. For instance, police in the Xinjiang region use an app that collects extensive personal data and flags individuals deemed suspicious.
Is political debate possible on the Chinese internet?
-While political debate is possible to some extent, it is highly limited. Criticism of general policies is allowed, but mentioning specific leaders or organizing collective actions increases the likelihood of censorship.
Outlines
🌐 China's Unique Digital Ecosystem
In China, over 800 million people use the internet, but the experience is vastly different from other parts of the world. Platforms like Google, Facebook, and Apple are blocked, while Chinese tech giants Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent dominate the digital landscape. These companies provide services similar to their Western counterparts, such as Baidu for search, Alibaba for e-commerce, and Tencent's WeChat for social networking. However, these platforms are more than just copies, leading innovations in areas like live-streaming and mobile payments. Professor Daniela Stockman highlights how Chinese users quickly adopt new technologies, with WeChat being a central hub for daily activities, from social connections to making payments.
🔒 Preemptive Censorship in Chinese Digital Platforms
Chinese internet services face censorship even before reaching the public. Human rights activist Xiao Qiang explains how domestic platforms, like WeChat, proactively delete politically sensitive content to comply with government regulations. University of Toronto's Citizen Lab discovered that images and content considered politically sensitive, such as the image of an empty chair commemorating a human rights activist, are automatically blocked from being shared on WeChat. This preemptive censorship is driven by algorithms and image recognition software, showcasing China's sophisticated control of online discourse. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, political content has been significantly silenced, though commercial and cultural activities remain vibrant.
📲 China's Digital Authoritarianism and Surveillance
The Chinese government not only moderates online content but also uses technology for political control. The Communist Party’s app 'Study to Make the Nation Strong' has become a tool for spreading Xi Jinping's ideologies, rewarding users for engaging with propaganda content. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong criticizes this as digital authoritarianism. In Xinjiang, technology enables extensive state surveillance of the Uyghur Muslim minority. Data from everyday activities like energy use and movements are monitored to identify potential threats, with over 1 million Uyghurs detained. Additionally, foreigners entering China may have their devices scanned for sensitive content. Despite these measures, online dissent remains possible through platforms like Weibo, though criticism of specific leaders is more likely to be censored.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chinese Firewall
💡Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent (BAT)
💡Content Moderation
💡Surveillance
💡Mobile Payments
💡Live Streaming
💡Digital Authoritarianism
💡Guanxi
💡Xinjiang Surveillance
Highlights
Over 800 million people use the internet in China, but platforms like Facebook and Google are blocked.
China has its own tech giants: Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, which dominate the local internet industry.
Baidu replaces Google for search, Alibaba dominates e-commerce, and Tencent's WeChat is more popular than Facebook.
Chinese internet users are fast adopters of new platforms, contributing to rapid digital trends in China.
WeChat has over 1 billion monthly users and is central to daily life, including social networking, mobile payments, and even doctor appointments.
Video streaming platforms like Douyin (TikTok), Bilibili, and Tencent Video have become extremely popular, attracting millions of users.
The Chinese government enforces strict content control through AI and human moderators to censor inappropriate content such as pornography or politically sensitive material.
China's 'Great Firewall' blocks foreign websites like Google, Wikipedia, and many others, creating an isolated internet ecosystem.
Chinese platforms engage in preemptive censorship, with algorithms screening images and messages to block restricted content before it reaches the public.
WeChat’s censorship is highly automated, capable of recognizing and blocking images in real time that might be politically sensitive.
Under Xi Jinping, online political discussions in China have been heavily silenced, even as cultural and commercial online activity remains vibrant.
The Chinese Communist Party uses apps like Xuexi Qiangguo, a political education tool, to spread propaganda and monitor citizen behavior.
The surveillance system in Xinjiang monitors Muslim minorities, with advanced technologies tracking individuals' behaviors and movements.
Foreigners entering China may have their phones scanned for suspicious content, further extending the surveillance apparatus.
Despite heavy censorship, some political debate and social critique are still possible online, though discussing specific leaders is highly sensitive.
Transcripts
over 800 million people use the internet
in China but things look a lot different
there than elsewhere Facebook and Google
are blocked for example what's the
internet like behind the Chinese
firewall our topic today unship most of
the world uses products from Google
Apple Facebook and Amazon or Gotha but
not China there are three homegrown tech
giant's dominate the industry they're
called
Baidu Alibaba and ten cent also known
sbat
in China Baidu replaces Google Alibaba
is for e-commerce and $0.10 is more
popular than Facebook is here but that's
not all
Baidu is map service instead of Google
Maps way go instead of Twitter and
WeChat instead of whatsapp in China they
are separate providers for almost every
online service available in the West but
they're far more than just copies
in many fields like live-streaming and
online payment Chinese providers have
become global leaders daniela Stockman
is a professor at the Hattie school of
governance in Berlin and an expert on
China's Digital Trends
she says users play a big role in these
developments one main difference between
Chinese users and European users is that
Chinese Internet users are fast adopters
so when there is a new platform they
will immediately go and try it out
WeChat alone has more than 1 billion
users a month
WeChat Pei is the leading mobile payment
service it works in supermarkets and at
restaurants hardly anyone uses cash in
China anymore users can even book doctor
appointments WeChat is like a super app
without it getting around in China isn't
easy social media platforms like WeChat
for example emphasize less the
distribution of information but more
social networking so we check was
invented as a means to develop what's
called in China Guang see social
connections video streaming services are
especially popular in China instead of
YouTube and Netflix $0.10 video iqiyi
and yaku are popular platforms for short
videos that lasts around 15 seconds are
flooded with 800 million visitors each
month the current market leader is pie
dance with a program dou yi ng outside
of China we know it as tick tock
another innovation - video streaming is
on the platform Billy Billy user
comments are displayed live as the video
plays things are trending more and more
towards live streaming the market leader
Yong ku counts 25 million active users
every month and the company takes user
supervision very seriously with the help
of AI more than 1,000 human content
managers monitor streams for violations
they look for pornography depictions of
violence and calls to violence but
smoking on screen or showing large
tattoos could also get your account
blocked the Chinese state has started
much earlier than us-based and European
platforms to develop a vast
institutional infrastructure in order to
control and censor content in the West
this is called content moderation in
China they call it content management
but China doesn't stop at moderating
content it's created an enormous
firewall to shield its users from the
rest of the digital world this comes in
handy for many Chinese platforms because
it eliminates foreign competition but it
also makes it easier to Silas
uncomfortable opinions how does it all
work it is basically a huge vast
Ethernet connection that is connected by
a very few servers to the global
Internet
and because all traffic has to go
through these servers the Chinese
government is able to block certain
content in China foreign websites are
mostly inaccessible when the content is
seen is not conforming to Chinese
government regulations their IP
addresses are simply blocked that
applies to Google the most used search
engine in the world as well as the user
administered online encyclopedia
Wikipedia and even Deutsche fellas
websites
Chinese online services are usually
censored before they even reach the
public Xiao Qiang is familiar with this
phenomenon
he's a human rights activist and
editor-in-chief of the China digital
times the advantage of those Chinese
domestic companies are they promised the
government they have a capacity to
censor and control online contents that
so they will not they will listen to the
government and they were actually
preemptively deleting l'anima contents
before the internet police even take a
look the messaging app WeChat can use
algorithms to prevent the transfer of
photos in real time Canada's University
of Toronto citizen lab found this out
the image of an empty chair
commemorating a dead human rights
activist simply doesn't go through to
chat partners in China so if I upload a
picture to share with a friend it's
immediately compared to a database if it
raises concern there the picture is
simply not sent the whole process is
completely automated with image
recognition software while it's
technically fascinating the socio
political consequences are terrifying
chou-heung says online censorship has
massively increased under general
secretary Xi Jinping now the Chinese
Internet is much more a politically
quiet place it's still commercially very
vibrant and culturally still full of
activities and innovations but on the
last its political edge intense
surveillance has all but politically
silenced China's internet but the
government is not satisfied with just
blocking and filtering out unwanted
opinions it also keeps looking for new
ways to use technology to its advantage
the Communist Party of China has its own
app and it's been especially successful
digital politics the Communist Party of
China keeps citizens in line with a
little red
in the beginning of 2019 Sushi's jungle
which means as much as study to make the
nation strong was the most downloaded
app in China even more than we chat and
Liu Yin the propaganda tool spreads the
views of the general secretary of the
communist party Xi Jinping users must
register with a telephone number and
their real names in order to study
political articles to comment or to
solve little puzzles they rewarded
coupons and prizes
just like in mobile games Hong Kong
activist Joshua Wong is critical of the
way millions of Chinese people are
directly manipulated in this way he says
the voluntary civic education platform
is a surveillance tool this have just
implied the rise of digital operate
arianism in China and it shows how the
communist regime will lose their digital
and mobile application to promote its
propaganda and ideology the wiggers are
Muslim minority in northwest China they
are being monitored very closely the Xin
Jiang region is like a testing ground
for total state surveillance police
officers can login to what's called the
integrated joint operation platform the
program collects extensive personal data
and Flags individuals who appear
potentially dangerous the organization
Human Rights Watch analyzed the program
on its surface most of this information
looks like standard fare for police but
as we dig deeper into the app we can see
that ordinary routine legal behavior is
being treated by authorities as suspect
the data gathered and citizens is
shockingly comprehensive it includes
information ranging from religious
affiliations and driver's licenses to
employment records it even gathers data
on residential energy consumption
movement patterns are filmed by the
ever-present surveillance cameras if
something appears out of the ordinary
consequences can be devastating for
example it's helped single out and
detain approximately 1 million people
from the Uighur minority
recent studies show that the state is
not only monitoring residents but also
foreigners who enter the country by land
at the border police installed an app on
their smartphones that scans contacts
images videos and voice messages for
certain keywords there are 73,000 terms
team suspicious even the picture of a
mosque could raise eyebrows in other
Chinese regions surveillance is not as
massive here the Internet can also pose
a great opportunity dissent is possible
in theory as long as you stick to
certain rules one way to start online
discussions and spread news is Weibo
it's similar to Twitter and is China's
largest micro blogging platform when
they use wave or they're using it as a
means to come out with new stories that
then often are picked up and go viral
and they're picked up by market based
media and then funneled into the center
of public discourse one example is a
discussion over working hours that the
founders of the startup dimension have
kicked off
they developed encryption software but
on the side they engaged in the fight
against the heavy workloads in the tech
industry the so-called nine nine six
phenomenon working from 9:00 in the
morning till 9:00 in the evening six
days a week is a violation of Chinese
labor laws
they also speak with successful
businessman like Alibaba founder Jack Ma
who compares work to love despite all
this it's very important to them to not
be perceived as political activists
here's what they had to say in an
interview the first question he asked me
is are you a leftist I I said like I
reply this okay what is the factors
despite various barriers online
political debate is possible in China to
a certain extent Chinese Internet users
are incredibly politically active and
they can criticize policies specific
leaders becomes more sensitive because
as soon as you mention a specific person
by name topics become more sensitive and
if you organize collective action the
chances are that your information your
messages will be removed when we look at
the internet behind China's firewall we
get a glimpse into the future there's
live streaming and mobile payment but
there's also far-reaching surveillance
and heavy state control users and
platforms alike are quick to censor
themselves to avoid sanctions this makes
a free and open democratic discussion
practically impossible behind China's
firewall the internet culture and
economy are surprisingly dynamic vibrant
and diverse but personally the price I'd
have to pay for that would be too high
for me what do you guys think
tell us on YouTube Facebook anti w.com
that's all for today take care and see
you next time
you
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