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Censorship

Censorship
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Censorship. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
PNG did not provide details of how the police tested “control systems” to regulate use of content on Facebook. Photo: Zuma Press Wire/dpa
Pacific nations

Pacific nation’s Facebook blackout tied to content ‘control’ experiment

Meta’s Facebook and Messenger remained inaccessible to users in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, over 24 hours after mysteriously going offline.

United States

Opinion | From Musk to Bannon, Trump’s rabble of backers are heading for a brawl

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Indonesia

Censorship in Indonesia? Outcry over punk band’s apology for anti-police song

Books and literature

Rewriting history? The delicate balance of sensitivity and censorship in books

Sensitivity readers can be a valuable resource for authors navigating complex issues of race, culture and sexuality, but at what cost? Writers appearing at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival explore this question.

“The pendulum had swung towards more sensitivity ... and the question of who deserves to be a gatekeeper and why,” says author Steven Schwankert. Illustration: Kay Lo
Malaysia

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia’s new social media licences are disconcerting

Industry players and users worry about the new social media licensing framework’s potential impact on freedom of expression and fairness.

US-China relations

US lawmakers raise concerns about Chinese national ballet performance in Washington

Politicians say National Ballet of China performance at Kennedy Centre is part of the Communist Party’s political machinery’.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US and China should follow lead of their youth bonding on RedNote

Their interactions help debunk Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative and should give Beijing the courage to relax its censorship and trust Chinese youth.

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For many young Americans, RedNote has given them their first direct interaction with mainland Chinese people. Photo: SCMP
Mark Zuckerberg

Regulating online hate speech ‘not censorship’: UN rights chief

If efforts to create safe online spaces are called censorship, ‘that ignores the fact that unregulated space means some people are silenced’.

Vietnam

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s ‘Chubby Bear’ approach to TikTok reveals double standards

Vietnam’s TikTok strategy involves enforcing censorship while exploiting youth-centric trends to promote pro-leader narratives.

Trending in China

Chinese ex-gymnast hit with new social media ban over sexy dance routines

Former sporting hero’s provocative live streaming sessions lead to fresh social media gag, dividing opinion on mainland social media.

Ex-China top gymnast Wu Liufang’s social media account is suspended again over her sexy live streaming sessions. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Douyin
China society

Opinion | Spate of random killings rooted in China’s social and economic despair

The mental trauma from pandemic controls and the economic slump have led to feelings of helplessness and despair that cannot be ignored.

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A woman offers a prayer in front of a sports centre in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on November 13, two days after a driver rammed his car into a crowd there, killing 35. Photo: Kyodo
China exports

As China’s vertical dramas charm US, soft-influence exports offer risks, rewards

Facing oversaturation in China, short-form video companies are finding lucrative new markets abroad, even amid geopolitical tensions.

American cinema

Why was Trump biopic The Apprentice censored in Hong Kong?

The controversial movie starring Sebastian Stan that chronicles Donald Trump’s rise to power was cut for its Hong Kong cinema release.

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China’s Communist Party

Chinese officials told to stop avoiding media questions about emergencies

Commentary in legal newspaper warns officials not to give ‘no comment’ answers – but some observers warn it will be easy to get round law.

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The law says officials should support the media in their coverage of disasters and other emergencies. Photo: AFP
Books and literature

Jodi Picoult, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker books top banned list in US

Once recommended for young adults, Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes leads among 4,200 titles banned in schools, writers’ group PEN America says.

Jodi Picoult’s novel about a school shooting, Nineteen Minutes, is the most banned book in schools in the United States, according to PEN America. Photo: Instagram/berlinbookbriefs
TikTok

TikTok slashes hundreds of jobs in shift towards AI content moderation

Short-video platform TikTok currently employs a mix of automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site.

Malaysia

Malaysia arrests, deports maid for criticising Cambodia leaders on social media

Nuon Toeun, 36, who had worked in Malaysia for several years, was arrested on a request from the Cambodian government.

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Accidents and disasters in China

Man accused of stabbing Japanese boy jobless with criminal record: Chinese media

Information about the sensitive case is tightly controlled by Chinese police, media and internet censors.

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Chinese paramilitary police officers march past the entrance of the Japanese embassy in Beijing on Thursday. China has expressed “regret and sadness” after a Japanese schoolboy died after being stabbed on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia scraps its loathed internet re-routing plan after public backlash

Insiders warn fallout from scrapped DNS policy could undermine government efforts to attract tech investments from major players like Nvidia.

Malaysia

Malaysia denies web traffic rerouting plan ‘draconian’ amid censorship fears

The regulator said the move would protect users from harmful content, but critics argue it could dent the country’s digital economy.

North Korea

North Korea challenges China’s border telecoms plans in rare protest

Pyongyang claims Beijing failed to consult it about the deployment, potentially indicating strained communications between the two.

An engineer checks power transmission equipment in Dandong last month. North Korea said it was especially opposed to proposed radio stations in the northeastern Chinese city. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

Asian Angle | Vietnam retools its propaganda strategy for the social media age

Vietnam’s attempts to change its social media approach are complicated by tight controls and the public’s low trust in government messages.

People use their laptops in an internet cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Bloomberg
Malaysia

TikTok leads tech grumbles over Malaysia’s new social media licence

TikTok Malaysia’s head of public policy urges government against taking top-down approach to moderating content on social media.

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China society

My Take | China’s censorship of cyberspace ID criticism risks losing a chance to improve

Chinese law requires new regulations to solicit public feedback, but legitimate concerns about giving netizens a single national ID are being silenced.

Myanmar

Opinion | Myanmar’s VPN ban, internet controls expose citizens to more cyber threats

Ban is likely to push people, desperately seeking information or social connection, towards alternatives even from obscured sources.

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Myanmar youths browsing Facebook at an internet shop in Yangon. File photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s raucous internet faces mute button as Anwar targets social media

Malaysia’s push for more internet regulations, including a “kill switch” to control harmful online content aimed at minors, has raised concerns about broader internet control and suppression of dissent.

Malaysia’s push for more internet regulations, including a “kill switch” to control harmful online content aimed at minors, has raised concerns about broader internet control and suppression of dissent. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

Malaysia’s new cyber law stirs fears of ‘death knell’ for free speech

Critics say government has duty to protect space for dissent, amid concerns new law is pushed ‘with little consultation and in haste’.

Artificial intelligence

As OpenAI blocks China, developers scramble to keep GPT access through VPNs

On the day OpenAI cut off API access in mainland China and Hong Kong, developers turned to VPNs and third-party providers while making plans to use domestic models.

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