Baidu Tells Chinese, But Not Brazilian, Users When It Censors

As noted on this blog, Baidu appears to be imposing Chinese political censorship on certain searches on its recently-launched Brazilian search engine.

These screenshots show search results for "Hu Jintao" (胡锦涛) in Chinese on Baidu's Brazilian Busca and its PRC based search engine. The results are identical (Busca also includes two additional search results, both from websites controlled by the central government). Baidu's PRC based search engine tells users "In accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies, some search results have not been displayed." (根据相关法律法规和政策，部分搜索结果未予显示。).

Baidu's Busca contains no such notice.

Baidu Launches Brazilian Search Engine - Apparently With Chinese Political Censorship

Baidu's Brazil Search Engine

[Note: The searches for this post were not conducted from within Brazil. If anyone in Brazil sees different results, please post a comment or contact me using the G+ link at the bottom right of this blog.]

On July 18, 2014, the state sponsored China Radio International reported "Chinese internet search provider Baidu has launched its Brazilian site in Portuguese, Convergencia reports. . . . Baidu also signed a cooperation agreement with the country's science and technology ministry for the development of internet in Brazil."

According to the South China Morning Post:

Baidu spokesperson Kaiser Kuo said that the Brazilian version of Baidu would come decked out with several features not available in the Chinese version. . . . Kuo also added that users can “definitely expect Thai...and Arabic [versions of Baidu] in the not-too-distant future.”

This screenshot shows that a search for “Falun Gong” on br.baidu.com appears to only return results from the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.

This screenshot shows that a search for “Xi Jinping” (习近平) in Chinese on br.baidu.com appears to only return results from websites operated by China’s central government and the Chinese Communist Party.

These screenshots show that a search for “Xi Jinping” (习近平) in Chinese on br.baidu.com restricted to the website “Boxun” (which is banned in China) returns only the home page of that site. While the same search on the Brazilian version of Bing returns tens of thousands of results.

These screenshots show that a search for “Gao Zhisheng” (高智晟 - a civil rights lawyer currently imprisoned in China) in Chinese on br.baidu.com returns no results. While the same search on the Brazilian version of Bing returns tens of thousands of results.

Site de buscas chinês Baidu lança sua versão para o Brasil

How Does Baidu Decide an Online Forum is Legal or Illegal? Murong Xuecun vs. Xu Caihou

On March 16, 2010, the state sponsored Global Times published an article entitled “Young, Free, and Cynical“ about Murong Xuecun’s (慕容雪村) book, “Leave Me Alone, A Novel of Chengdu,” which had recently been translated into English. Some excerpts:

His books have been read by millions before they even go to press. This bestselling author is known for depicting corruption, sex, violence and the truth about modern Chinese society in stark detail. An entire city government tried to speak out about his book, believing that his honest observations would damage their image.

On July 6, 2014, Murong Xuecun published the following statement on Sina Weibo:

“Notice of Surrender”

Two months ago, Pu Zhiqiang, Xu Youyu, Hao Jian, Hu Shigen, and Liu Di were arrested on suspicion of “provoking quarrels.” Their so called provocation was merely a single home gathering, with about a dozen people meeting at Hao Jian's home and discussing the Tiananmen incident of 25 years before, who afterwards were afterwards deemed criminals. Originally I was also supposed to be there, but as luck would have it on the day of the meeting I had to go to the University of Sydney to be a visiting scholar, so I only made a written statement that discussed my own understandings and views of the Tiananmen Incident. It never occurred to me that in this so-called People's Republic even such a minor matter could deemed a criminal act. I posted an announcement online stating that I had also participated in their provoking quarrels, even though physically I was out of the country. I asked authorities to extend the time limit, and wait until I had completed my trip to the University of Sydney, when I would return to China and give myself up.

I absolutely do not approve of their detentions, but I also do not feel that I should be given an preferential treatment. I engaged in the same actions they did, and cannot remain aloof from this matter. I have already returned to Beijing, and await detention by the authorities at their convenience. For 24 hours following the publication of this surrender notice I will wait in my home in Haidian. When you come please bring the relevant credentials. After 24 hours, please call ahead and make an appointment.

Hao Qun (Murong Xuecun)

两个月前，浦志强、徐友渔、郝建、胡石根和刘荻因涉嫌“寻衅滋事”被捕。所谓寻衅滋事，其实只是一次家庭聚会，十几个人聚在郝建家里，谈了谈25年前的天安门事件，然后就成了罪犯。我本来也应该在场，但聚会当天恰好要去悉尼大学做访问学者，只做了个书面发言，谈我自己对天安门事件的认识和看法。我从来没有想到，在这个所谓的人民共和国里，连如此微不足道的事都会成为犯罪。我在网上发了一个声明，说我也参与了他们的寻衅滋事，但身在国外，请当局宽限两月，等我结束悉尼大学的行程，就会回国投案。

我绝不认同对他们的逮捕，但也不认为自己应该得到特别的优待。我和他们做过同样的事，不可以置身事外。我现在已经回到北京，随时等待当局的抓捕，自此投案书发布24小时内，我会在海淀区自己的家中等候，来者请带齐相关证件，超过24小时，请提前电话预约。

投案人：郝群（慕容雪村）

At 5:47 in the evening on July 8, Murong Xuecun posted this statement on Twitter:

I am at the Wanshou Temple police station, waiting for state security to come get me to drink tea.
在万寿寺派出所，等国保来找我喝茶。

At 4:07 in the morning on July 9, Murong Xuecun posted this statement on Twitter:

I have returned home safely, thanks to all my friends for their concern.”
我已平安回家，谢谢师友们挂念。

These screenshots shows that, at some time between Murong Xuecun’s two Twitter posts, Baidu shut down the Murong Xuecun PostBar (贴吧 Tieba) forum.

 These screenshots show that Baidu did the same thing with Pu Zhiqiang’s PostBar forum when he was detained.

On July 1, 2014, the Global Times published an editorial entitled “Xu’s Expulsion Signals Cleaner, Stronger Army.” Some excerpts:

The expulsion of Xu Caihou from the CPC was hailed around the country. Xu, former military leader and member of the political bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was charged with corruption and position-selling.
. . . .
Before his expulsion was officially announced, speculations about Xu's "problems" had been circulating online for a while. But it was still an astonishing piece of news when the official announcement was made one day before the CPC's 93th birthday. It is possible that the top leadership is trying to send a signal to the public, pointing out the severity of corruption and showcasing the "zero-tolerance" determination and confidence to fight corruption.

Besides, making Xu's case headlines on July 1 also shows that there are no barriers that can obstruct the anti-graft efforts.

These screenshots show that, some time shortly after July 1, Baidu decided it was no longer a violation of “relevant laws, regulations, and policies” to allow its users to open a forum dedicated to discussion of Xu Caihou (徐才厚).

Global Times' Hu Xijin On the Closure of Writer Li Chengpeng's Weibo

On July 8, 2014, Hu Xijin (胡锡进), writing under the pen name Shan Renping (单仁平), published an editorial in the Global Times entitled "@Lichengpeng Account Vanishes, It Was Bound to Happen Sooner or Later" (@李承鹏被销号，早晚注定发生). Some excerpts: 

On the evening of July 7, the Sina Weibo account @Lichengpeng disappeared. Of all the Weibo accounts that have been banned during the recent period, Li Chengpeng's is one of the most illustrative cases. Li Chengpeng is often referred to as "Big Eyed Li," and is extremely representative of the "Big Vs." His language is fierce, caustic, and pretty much always "cursing the government."
. . . .
Cursing the government gave him a certain kind of notoriety in the Internet's virtual spaces, and this notoriety enabled him to have increased clout in the real world.
. . . .
Radical liberals are cherishing the unrealistic hope that there will be a subversive change in China's system, or even a collapse of the current social system. They probably believe that engaging in political opposition in China is a promising undertaking and the universal values promoted by the West will prevail eventually.
. . . .
In the pursuit of so-called "free speech," radical liberals cannot take a swipe China's political cohesion or publicly challenge China's political system.
. . . .
If a few radical liberals want to continue bumping against the line and being antagonistic, then that is their political and personal choice. They must bear the consequences of doing so, and its not something worth grousing about.

@李承鹏的账号7日晚间在新浪微博上消失。在一段时间以来被取缔的微博账号中，李承鹏算是最典型的之一。李承鹏常被称为“李大眼”，在大V中很有代表性。他语言激烈，尖刻，而且差不多篇篇“骂政府”。
. . . .
骂政府给他在互联网虚拟社区带来人气，这种人气成为他在现实社会增加影响的筹码。
. . . .
在一些激进自由派当中，似有一个不切实际的指望：中国制度将出现颠覆性变化，甚至崩溃。他们大概认为在中国搞政治对抗是“有前途的事业”，相信西方力量终将获得普世性胜利。
. . . .
在追求所谓“言论自由”时，激进自由派人士不能向国家的政治凝聚力开刀，公开挑战国家政治制度。
. . . .
如果个别激进自由派人士还是要撞线、对抗，那么这就是他们的政治和人生选择。他们需要为此承担各种后果，这没什么好抱怨的。

On July 9, the Global Times published an English language editorial entitled "Radical Liberals Must Accept Political Bottom Line." That editorial made no mention of Li Chengpeng, and offered some additional perspectives on free speech with mainland Chinese characteristics:

[Criticism] must stick to the basic principle that it should help improve the country's political system rather than agitate it. . . . . It is a misunderstanding of law if one believes criticism only has to abide by law without adhering to the political bottom line.

Internet User Jailed Five Days for Saying "Police Really Suck"

On May 15, 2014, China’s official news agency Xinhua published a report entitled “Chinese Police Apologize for Alleged Power Abuse.” Some excerpts:

Traffic police in Yanzhou City wrote out a ticket on April 28 and posted it on a car illegally parked by the roadside. In response, the car owner, surnamed Cao, posted "Yanzhou police really suck!" (兖州交警真孬种) on a local Internet forum.

In a statement posted on Tuesday on its official account with microblogging service Sina Weibo, the Public Security Bureau of Yanzhou said that Cao had "publicly insulted the police of the people and produced a very bad impact on the society," and consequently had been put into custody for five days as punishment.

At the end of the statement, police warned the public that any words and comments on the Internet, even under a pseudonym, could be traced, and that anyone who breaks the law must be brought to justice.
. . . .
Late on Wednesday, Yanzhou police put up another post on Sina Weibo, saying Cao's detention was improper and that they had decided to withdraw the punishment and apologize to him. In the meantime, officers involved in the case would be taken to account.

Liu Min, a lawyer with Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm, said it was baseless in legal terms to detain Cao over his verbal misconduct. "It is misuse of power by authorities," Liu said.

However, the lawyer noted that Cao's written attack on the police went beyond freedom of speech.

In a report published on May 15, the state sponsored Southern Metropolis Daily provided other examples of similar cases of Internet users being subject to administrative detention for criticizing law enforcement authorities:

In March 2010, an Internet user in Jieyang using the name "Baojingren" had a friend whose motorcycle had been confiscated by the police, and could not get it back. Baojingren published a post casting suspicion upon and cursing all police officers at the police station. The post included wording such as "swine, cretans, thieves." Afterwards that Internet user was subjected to five days administrative detention by the Jieyang public security bureau.

2010年3月，揭阳网友“报警人”因朋友的摩托车被民警扣留，索要无果，在发帖质疑并辱骂派出所全体民警，帖子含“畜生、下贱、强盗”等字眼。后来，该网友被揭阳东山公安分局行政拘留5日。

In August 2013, the Wudangshan public security bureau subjected a Mr. Xue to five days administrative detention because he had published posts with "rumors," claiming seven people had died in a car accident, when in fact only three people had died. Mr. Xue became the first person detained in the Shiyan police's Internet crime campaign against those who "spread rumors online."

2013年8月，武当山特区公安局将一男子薛某行政拘留五日，因为该男子发布“谣言帖”，将死亡3人的车祸报为“7人死亡”。薛某成为当时十堰市警方集中打击网络违法犯罪拘留的“网络传谣”第一人。

In August 2013, a traffic accident occurred 140 meters from the 305 km marker on Highway 310 in Dangshan, Anhui, resulting in 10 fatalities and 5 injuries. Internet user Yu Hemi published a post on his Weibo stating "the accident caused 16 fatalities." As a result the local police held him for five days for "spreading rumors." Following media reports, on August 29, the local police admitted that the detention was inappropriate and revoked the administrative sanctions against him, and apologized.

2013年8月，310国道安徽砀山段305km +140m处发生一起交通事故，共造成10人死亡，5人受伤。网民于和玉在其个人微博发布“事故造成16人死亡”的消息，被当地公安认定“散布谣言”而拘留5日。媒体报道后，8月29日，当地警方承认拘留处罚不妥，撤销了对其做出的行政处罚决定，并致歉。

Baidu Censors "July 1 Big March" On Day Tens of Thousands March in Hong Kong

On June 30, 2014, the state sponsored Global Times published an editorial entitled “Pushing Confrontation Not in HK’s Interest.” An excerpt:

Hong Kong's unofficial referendum on universal suffrage, organized by protest group Occupy Central, ended yesterday. Organizers claimed about 780,000 people voted, but that figure has raised doubt. Tomorrow is July 1, the date when Hong Kong was returned to China 17 years ago. Protest groups called on voters to demonstrate on that day and impose pressure on the central government.
. . . .
If any Hongkongers insist that the central government is aiming to crack down on freedom of speech and democracy, and that only protests can safeguard Hong Kong's future, they should get rid of such a mentality.

These screenshots show that on July 1, 2014, Baidu began censoring search results for “7 1 Big March.” (七一大游行)

Sina Weibo Censors Searches Relating to Officials Fleeing Abroad With Billions

On May 8, 2014, Netease published an article entitled "China's Elicit Outflows Reach Over One Trillion Dollars Over Ten Years" (中国非法外流资金10年超万亿美元). An excerpt:

In December 2013, The American non-profit organization Global Financial Integrity issued its report entitled "Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2002-2011." This report noted that, in China from 2011 to 2011, tax evasion, corruption, crime, and other illicit activity created illegal capital outflows of over 1.08 trillion US dollars, amounting to 1/6 of the global total, making it the leading country in the world in amount of illicit capital outflows. 

2013年12月，美国非营利机构全球金融诚信组织(Global Financial Integrity)发布《发展中国家非法资金流出：2001-2011》报告。该报告指出，2001-2011期间，中国(大陆)因逃税、腐败和犯罪等而产生的非法资金外流达1.08万亿美元，约占全球份额的1/6，是全球非法资金外流最多的国家。

These screenshots were taken on May 9, and show that Sina Weibo was censoring searches for the exact phrase “China’s officials flee abroad with billions, and we are powerless to recover it” (中国外逃贪官卷万亿 追缴无力).