Category: Censorship

As China’s Internet Disappears, ‘We Lose Parts of Our Collective Memory’

The number of Chinese websites is shrinking and posts are being removed and censored, stoking fears about what happens when history is erased.
Ad for Lactation Cookies Returns to Times Square

After Clear Channel, which manages many of the advertisements in the area, said a provocative billboard for a Molly Baz recipe was “flagged for review,” two companies stepped in to offer new space.
YouTube Blocks ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ in the City

Responding to a court order, YouTube and its sister company, Google, will block viewers in the region from viewing videos of the song, “Glory to Hong Kong.”
There Is No TikTok in China, Only Douyin. Here’s What It Is.

ByteDance owns both TikTok and Douyin, and although TikTok has more users around the world, Douyin is the company’s cash cow and a China mainstay.
What a TikTok Ban Would Mean for the U.S. Defense of an Open Internet

Global digital rights advocates are watching to see if Congress acts, worried that other countries could follow suit with app bans of their own.
Google to Tone Down Message Board After Employees Feud Over War in Gaza

The company is making changes to a popular message board called Memegen that some employees say sounds a lot like censorship.
‘3 Body Problem’: What Social Media Reaction Says About China

The Netflix series showcases one of the country’s most successful works of culture, a rare cultural export. Instead, social media is condemning it.
Wang Xiaoshuai, the Filmmaker, Draws Wrath of China’s Censors

Wang Xiaoshuai is among the few Chinese artists who refuse to bend to state limitations on the subjects they explore.
India’s TikTok Ban: What Lessons Does It Hold for the U.S.

The United States is agonizing over the possibility of a ban, but India did it at a stroke. Indians adjusted quickly, and Instagram and YouTube built big audiences.
Reddit’s I.P.O. Is a Content Moderation Success Story

The site’s journey from toxic cesspool to trusted news source illustrates the business value of keeping bad actors at bay.
Russia Strengthens Its Internet Controls in Critical Year for Putin

Facing an election this weekend and the fallout from Aleksei Navalny’s death and the war in Ukraine, Russia has intensified online censorship using techniques pioneered by China.
China Shuts Down a News Conference, Shutting a Tiny Window for Its People

Once a year, the premier held a news conference, explaining the economy and giving Chinese a taste of political participation. That has come to an end.