Chinese government SNS censorship is spreading to the world?

Chinese government censorship is taking place in WeChat, a messenger app developed by Chinese company Tencent. User accounts that have posted comments about the 2019 Hong Kong democracy protests or including criticism of the government will be suspended. It is said that the scope of such censorship by the Chinese government is affecting not only Chinese residing in China, but also Chinese residing abroad.

According to Citizen Lab’s survey, WeChat conducts strict censorship of Chinese users, while regulations are being relaxed for non-Chinese users. However, Chinese-Americans who register for an account with a phone number that has been used in China are considered Chinese by the WeChat system and are subject to censorship.

Accounts are suspended as soon as content written on WeChat is censored, as the Chinese government has the law to access user data and freely censor content disclosed on social media. One expert pointed out that not only political issues, but also religious and economic topics or information on public health are subject to censorship by the Chinese government.

A Minnesota-based WeChat user on the surface publishes opinions that seem to be wholly supportive of the Chinese government, but a good read shows that he does not support the Chinese government. However, he says, given the safety of families living in mainland China, he avoids talking about politically sensitive topics.

With more than 1 billion daily active users, WeChat is not only a messenger but also a social media platform, news app, and payment platform. Being unable to use WeChat means that it is difficult to lead daily life in Chinese society. It also means that Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, which means that one of the few ways in which family members and friends in mainland China can contact Chinese-Americans will disappear.

An American WeChat user is getting signatures to file a petition with the White House to stop censoring US users. He points out that Tencent’s business in the United States is censoring public opinion, cracking down on dissidents, infringing on freedom of speech by American citizens, and disrupting US democracy. Another user said he came to the United States for freedom and democracy, but pointed out the issue of being watched for years even though he was an American and criticized that it was surprising that the US Congress did not act on what he used to be unable to speak freely while living in the United States. Related information can be found here .