The Chinese government has revealed it is expanding their censorship of the internet with a new training programme for the estimated two million “opinion monitors” Beijing organised last year. Alastair Sloan reports
CATEGORY: China
China’s suprise freedom of speech crackdown on WeChat
WeChat was the darling of the Chinese start-up scene, the sexy competitor to Weibo domestically, and Twitter and WhatsApp, on the global stage. That was until China cracked down, Alastair Sloan reports
“Insidious” self-censorship rife in Hong Kong
Many media workers believe that the recent stabbing of a newspaper editor is message for Hong Kong-based journalists to beware criticising Beijing, Jemimah Steinfeld reports.
Index Freedom of Expression Awards: Digital activism nominee Free Weibo
Free Weibo is an uncensored version of China’s biggest social network, SinaWeibo.
China: The unsettling and bizarre spectacle of televised confessions
Suspects being made to “confess” to crimes live on air, is making even the most influential scared to speak out, writes Alastair Sloan
China: Suppression of religious freedoms in Xinjiang continues
The Chinese Communist Party continues to develop expansive legal and political frameworks that repress the cultural and religious freedoms of its Uyghur population in Xinjiang province. Ahmed W Khan reports
State of press freedom in China and Hong Kong “reminiscent of the Mao era”
New report from the International Federation of Journalists slams “continued deterioration of press freedoms”
Social media changing the protest landscape in China
Despite state censorship and political repression, social media is changing the protest landscape in China, Stephen Junor writes
Four places where social media could land you in jail
Facebook has nearly 1.2 billion monthly active users –that’s nearly 20% of the total global population. Yet, in some countries harsh sanctions and time in jail can be imposed on those who comment on social media, in the majority of cases for speaking out against their government.
China marks Mandela’s death with no mention of “freedom” or “democracy”
Chinese coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death has reflected the government’s new-found sympathy for Maoism, its rejection of democracy and its long-standing sensitivities over Tibet and Taiwan. Alastair Sloan reports