black-mirror in Beijing. Already known for its particularly limited use of social networks, with the world’s largest sites being blocked (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc.), China has put a coin back into the dystopia and “social credit” machine. As protests against the ‘zero Covid’ policy have recently shaken the government, a drastic moderation of online comments must apply in the name of ‘national security’, set to further curb freedom of expression.
China’s internet platforms already have armies of employees tasked with erasing overly politically sensitive posts in order to steer public opinion. But comments critical of power, as well as insults, rumors or defamatory messages, however, are not all purged from the Chinese internet. In an effort to tighten the cracks, the Cyberspace Administration of China has issued even stricter moderation regulations, effective from Thursday.
“They will cut very wide”, fear Internet users
“The commenting service provider must (…) carry out a credit assessment of users based on their commenting behavior”, indicates the text in particular. Those “seriously discredited” by their messages “will be placed on a blacklist” which will prohibit them from commenting, even by recreating an account, specifies the document published on November 16. All users must register with their real name and identity card number.
The regulations mainly apply to the comment sections of sites and applications, in particular information. In practice, these measures should discourage many Internet users from writing embarrassing messages for the government. The Cyberspace Administration claims to help “protect national security, the public interest and citizens”. The official press praised the regulation, already planned before the November protests, stressing that “the Internet is not a lawless zone”.
But alongside shy “I support”, Internet users seem mostly hostile. “It limits antisocial behavior, rumors and online violence,” says a user of the social network Weibo. “But you also have to hear people’s aspirations and criticisms! “There are no detailed rules. They will cut very wide, ”said another. “As soon as we criticize them a little and already they can’t stand it anymore,” laments a third.