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Showing posts from February, 2013

Caixin and Weibos Block Access to Report on Private/Public Cooperation in Internet Censorship

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At 11:41 am on February 18, 2013, the state-sponsored Caixin Magazine posted the following on its verified Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo accounts: [Exclusive Report: The Post Deletion Business] Caixin reporters have discovered that "post deletion" has long-since moved beyond the crude models of earlier years, becoming inter-linked grey industry where senior levels in public relations companies and portal web sites, as well as some overseeing officials, work hand-in-hand. It costs thousands to delete a negative news article, hundreds of thousands in professional fees to get a key word blocked, and those asking to get posts deleted range from users and companies to government officials. 【独家报道:删帖生意】财新记者发现,“删帖”早已脱离了早年的粗放模式,成为一条由公关公司、门户网站中高层甚至部分监管官员联手操纵的灰色产业链。删一条负面新闻要几千上万元,屏蔽关键词业务收费多达百万元,要求删帖的客户既有企业,也有政府官员。 This screenshot shows that, within hours of these posts appearing Sina Weibo began censoring searches for "The post deletion business." (删帖生意)  These screensho

Web Sites Censor Searches, Delete Story About Anti-Corruption Agency's Car Purchases

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On February 21, 2013, the following was posted on the verified Tencent Weibo account Tencent (one of China's largest Internet companies): [Chinese Communist Party Central Discipline Inspection Commission Contributes 75 Million for Subordinate Departments to Distribute Officials Cars] On February 19, the Inspection Department of the Communist Party Central Discipline Inspection Commission held a ceremony in Hami, Xinjiang to distribute official cars to village and township discipline committees, with the first group of 37 official use cars going to the residential discipline committees in the 37 townships that comprise Hami's two counties and one municipality. The Central Discipline Inspection Commission dedicated a special fund of 75 million to provide 1,018 transportation vehicles for all of Xinjiang's village and township Central Discipline Inspection Departments. 【中纪委斥资7500万为下属部门配公车】2月19日,由中央纪委监察部为新疆乡镇纪委配备车辆发车仪式在新疆哈密举行,首批37辆办公办案用车分发给了新疆哈密两县一市37个乡镇(街道)纪委。此次中央纪委拨专项资金75

Weibos, Web Sites, and Search Engines Censor Reports of Hacking and Spying

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On February 21, 2013, the state-sponsored Global Times published an English article entitled " Regular Cyber Attacks From US: China ." Some excerpts: In a report released Monday, Mandiant pointed its fingers at a Chinese military unit named People's Liberation Army (PLA) Unit 61398, saying the Shanghai-based outfit had systematically stolen confidential data from at least 141 organizations across 20 industries. The report has driven media to Datong Road in Shanghai where the military unit is located, but pictures and videos taken by the press were required to be deleted by officers in military uniform. The name plate indicating the nearby clinic of PLA Unit 61398 was removed Wednesday. The Mandiant report the Global Times referred to had been the subject of a February 18 New York Times report entitled " Chinese Army Unit Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S. " This screenshot, taken on February 20, shows that users of Baidu's PostBar (贴吧 Tieba) sea

Cheng Wanyun Detained for Comment on Xi Jinping Fan Weibo, Sina and Tencent Censor Searches and Posts

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Cheng Wanyun's Twitter Photo Cheng Wanyun (程婉芸) used to go by the name Cheng Aihua (程爱华), and posts on Twitter as @paleylin (佩利) http://twitter.com/paleylin . At 5:30 pm on February 6, 2013 she posted the following on her Tencent Weibo (where she posts as "Dreams of Ensslin" - ensslin之梦 - http://t.qq.com/lishengnanshishi ): Just now my little brother's wife called, and the police suddenly came into the shop and took my brother and the shop's computer to the police station. Because the shop's computer sometimes uses the same Internet connection as my home, I don't know whether or not the police visit was the result of some information I posted. The current situation isn't clear, and my brother doesn't have a cell phone on him, so I'm rushing to the police station right now. Cell phone 13488860702. 刚才弟媳妇打电话过来,商店里的电脑突然被警察上门带我弟弟一起被带到了派出所。因家里与商店里有时使用同一条网线,不知是不是因为我所发布的信息导致警方上门。现情况不明,兄弟未带手机在身上,我马上赶去派出所一趟。手机:13488860702。 Original URL: http://t

China's Weibos Ban Kai-fu Lee, News Sites Delete Criticism of People's Daily Search Engine Boss Deng Yaping

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Kai-fu Lee's post (top) Deng Yaping (bottom) On September 21, 2010, the state-sponsored China Daily published an article entitled " Champion Deng Yaping Preside Over Search Engine by People's Daily ." Some excerpts: Table tennis legend Deng Yaping will soon be adding to her rich experience by taking a further step in her political career. Deng, 37, the former world and Olympic table tennis champion, has been nominated to serve as president of Goso.cn, a news search engine launched by People's Daily in July, and as deputy secretary-general of People's Daily. On February 16, 2013, the China-based website Huxiu.com (虎嗅网) published an article entitled "Homeward Bound Musings, Why is it Deng Yaping is Being Criticized" (回乡沿途八卦:话说邓亚萍为什么被批了). Some excerpts: So far Jike has (supposedly) spent 2 billion, and has essentially no profits, [People's Daily deputy editor] Ma Li is unwilling, and has taken Deng to task, be diligent and thrifty,  stop

Sina Weibo Repeatedly Deletes Posts About Pu Zhiqiang "Blowing the Whistle" on Zhou Yongkang

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The screenshots below show that Sina Weibo repeatedly deleted posts making reference to Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强 - a civil rights attorney in China) publicly calling for a reckoning of the domestic security established under the administration of Zhou Yongkang (周永康 - former Minster of Public Security and Secretary of the Central Political and Legislative Committee).

After Celine Dion Performs "Jasmine Flower," Sina Weibo Stops Blocking Related Search Results

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On February 9, 2013, Celine Dion performed the Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower" (茉莉花) on China Central Television's 2013 Spring Festival Gala. Here are translations of some users' posts  on Sina Weibo from that night: What song was just sung on the #New Year's Gala"#? --In accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies, the performance lyrics have not been displayed. #春晚# 刚才唱了什么歌曲?——根据相关法律法规和政策,演唱歌曲结果未予显示。 If this was in 2011, you would be arrested and sent to re-education through labor for saying "Jasmine Flower." 这要在2011年,说“茉莉花”可是要被刑拘劳教的 On February 20, 2011 China Jasmine Flower, on February 20, 2013, Jasmine Flower is sung on the New Year's Gala, we are witnessing history . . . . 2011年2月20日 中国茉莉花,2013年2月10日,茉莉花在春晚唱响,我们算是见证了历史么…… Wouldn't you say that in 2011 Jasmine Flower was a banned song? Is it possible the organization has forgotten the Jasmine Flower movement? 话说茉莉花2011年的时候不还是禁歌吗?难道组织已经忘记了茉莉花运动了? "Jasmine Flower&

Baidu, Sina, and Tencent Censor Social Media Discussion of Wang Dexue's Wristwatches

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Photos from deleted Baidu Wang Dexue PostBar post. On February 3, 2013, the web site of the state-sponsored China Daily published an article entitled " Human Error Behind Fatal Expressway Collapse ." Some excerpts: Chinese authorities have confirmed that an expressway viaduct collapse in Central China's Henan province that left 10 dead and 11 injured was a serious accident caused by multiple human errors. . . . . A joint work team of officials from local authorities as well as Wang Dexue, vice head of the State Administration of Work Safety, Huang Ming, vice minister of public security, and Feng Zhenglin, vice minister of transport, was sent to the scene to guide rescue work and the investigation. The following day, the web site of the state-sponsored Global Times published an article entitled " Weeping Official Photo Met with Media Cry for 'Actions, Not Tears' ." Some excerpts: A photo showing an official wiping away tears at the site of fa

On 8th Anniversary of Zhao Ziyang's Death, Sina, Tencent, and Baidu Censor Searches for His Name

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Zhao Ziyang (赵紫阳) was the third Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1980 to 1987, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1987 to 1989. He died on January 17, 2005. These screenshots show that on January 17, 2013, both Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo were censoring searches for "Zhao Ziyang." These screenshots, also taken on January 17, show that Baidu was censoring searches for "Zhao Ziyang" on its web search and "PostBar" (贴吧 "Tieba" a forum service), and claims to be unable to find any results on its "Encyclopedia" (百科 “Baike” a wikipedia service), "Knows" (知道 "Zhidao" a Q&A service) and "Library" (文库 "Wenku" a document sharing service) products. Compare that with Baidu's treatment of searches for another former PRC Premier - Zhou Enlai - http://blog.feichangdao.com/2013/02/on-36th-anniversary-of-zhou-enlais.html. The screenshot below shows