The Chinese government is implementing an “emergency response” level of censorship as zero-Covid protests rise across the nation. Here’s everything you need to know about the ongoing situation in China.
Chinese government to censor zero-Covid protests
As per news reports, the Chinese government is expected to restrict VPNs and other online censorship bypassing methods. Protestors across China prefer to use social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo despite the authorities strictly watching them. Users have been trying to access foreign sites with the help of VPNs. Residents and protesters calling to air grievances about the nation’s zero-covid policy and other aspects of life are playing cat and mouse with censorship.
What do the new directives say?
As per reports, there is a spike in people attempting to bypass the “great firewall”. The “great firewall” supposedly allows the authorities to monitor online activity. As per a translation by the China Digital Times, the latest directives speak about the government’s concerns regarding zero-covid protests. Hence, “Level I Internet Emergency Response, the highest level of content management” was initiated.
It also mentions a “hands-on approach” to content management. The main objectives are to identify mentions of “online disturbances” quickly. Additionally, they are also focusing on “recent high-profile events in various provinces”. “Pernicious political slogans also appeared in Shanghai; college and university students held conspicuous political gatherings; smears by foreign media increased, and various websites have strengthened their content management,” listed the directive. Moreover, “the incident on November 24 triggered expressions of various grievances,” states the directive. It is in reference to a building fire in Urumqi responsible for claiming ten lines. The situation was one of the main reasons behind the rise in widespread zero-Covid protests in China.