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Showing posts from October, 2015

State Media Publishes List of Banned Video Apps

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On October 15, 2015, several state sponsored news outlets - such as China.com.cn and China National Radio - published an article entitled “GAPPRFT Announces 81 Illegal Video Apps, Fengyun Broadcasting Tops the List” ( 广电总局公布81个非法视频软件 风云直播上榜 ). The reports included an image that was posted on Sina Weibo by “Television Eyes” (电视眼 - http://weibo.com/tvread). The Sina Weibo post was subsequently deleted, but the image showed a table entitled “List of Illegal Video Clients (Mobile Clients)” (非法视频类客户端软件名单) listing 81 apps listed along with app stores on which they were available and a column titled: “suspected illegal and harmful content broadcasted” (涉嫌传播的违规有害内容). Five of the video apps were cited for “Providing the Hong Kong ‘SunTv Satellite’ politically harmful documentary ‘National Martyr’ video program” (提供香港“阳光卫视”政治有害纪律片“国殇”音频节目). Some other examples of banned apps and the legal justification: Fengyun : Providing Hong Kong Phoenix News, Vietnam-BPTV1 and other overseas vi

Southern Group’s Expression of Support for Journalist Liu Wei Deleted, Baidu Censors "Southern Metropolitan Reporter Liu Wei"

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On October 16, 2015, the state sponsored Beijing News published an article entitled "Southern Metropolitan Daily Responds to Criminal Detention of Journalist Liu Wei on Suspicion of Illegally Obtaining State Secrets" (南都回应记者刘伟涉非法获取国家秘密罪被刑拘). Some excerpts: This afternoon (October 16), Beijing News reporters (Weixin ID: bjnews_xjb) received information that Liu Wei, deputy editor of investigative reporting at the Southern Metropolitan Daily, had been held under criminal detention by Jiangxi police for eight days. According to people close to Liu Wei, at around 8:00 in the evening on October 8, Liu Wei left his home in Chengdu to head to the airport to fly to Beijing. After 10:00 pm that evening, contact with Liu Wei was lost. . . . . Beginning in 2013, Liu Wei began reporting on the Wang Lin affair. On October 23 of that year, the Southern Metropolitan Investigative Weekly published a four page report on the affair. Liu Wei was named the Southern Publishing's Group

Baidu and Sina Block Discussion of Magna Carta

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On October 16, 2015, the state sponsored Global Times published an article entitled “ Magna Carta Moved to British Embassy for Practical Reasons: FCO .” Some excerpts: Tian Dewen Credit: CASS British authorities on Thursday said that relocating the Magna Carta display from the Renmin University of China to the British Embassy in Beijing was because of "administrative and logistical practicalities." . . . . The embassy first announced, via its official WeChat account, on October 9, that it would display the document at the Renmin University from Tuesday to Thursday. It later issued a notice changing the display location to the British ambassador's residence one day before the exhibition was due to open. The abrupt change sparked speculation from Western media, with some reporting that the Chinese authorities blocked the exhibition at the Renmin University of China. . . . . There has been no speculation on the location change in the Chinese media. Observers

Baidu Search Results for "Ai Weiwei Listening Devices" Disappear

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On October 4, 2015, Ai Weiwei (艾未未) posted the following photos on his Instagram page. These screenshots show that on October 7, 2015, Baidu claimed it could no longer find any search results for the phrase "Ai Weiwei Listening Devices" (艾未未 监听设备), even though on the previous day it was able to find over 500 results, including the results headed "Listening Devices Discovered in Ai Weiwei's Workshop" (艾未未工作室发现监听设备). This screenshot, also taken on October 7, 2015, shows that when a user searched for "Ai Weiwei Monitored" (艾未未 监听), Baidu displayed a censorship notice, and none of the 3 results returned appeared to contained that phrase. These screenshots, also taken on October 7, 2015, show that users were not being permitted to discuss Ai Weiwei on either Sina Weibo or Baidu PostBar (Tieba 贴吧).