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Tag: sina weibo

  • China Begins Censoring Weibo Microblogging Service

    Weibo is China’s version of Twitter, and the microblogging service shares much in common with its Western counterpart. Weibo users anonymously report news and have been known to discuss topics often forbidden on the Chinese web. They even spread false death rumors the way Twitter does. The Chinese Communist Party sees unabridged, anonymous speech, especially when it’s about political corruption, as dangerous to the country’s social order, and censors have tried various ways to implement blocks and filters on Weibo.

    Sina, the company behind Weibo, implemented “user contracts” earlier this month to try and suppress the rampant political speech and debate going on between its 200 million users. This week, The New York Times is reporting that Sina will now be grading Weibo members on their behavior, using a points system to keep track.

    Users will start out with 80 points, and points can be deducted for disruptive posts. How many points will be deducted for a violation, or what topics and posts could be point-deduction-worthy were not revealed. Presumably, this is intentional, since having no official ruleset for the points means they can be used as an excuse to simply censor users. What is known is that when users hit 60 points they will be issued a warning. Zero points means an account ban. Users can restore their 80-point standing by having no violations for 20 months. Also, Reuters reports that extra points can be earned by users if they give up their anonymity by validating their real-life identity.

    Of course, censorship has never stopped the internet, especially Twitter, from talking. Much the same as French tweeters who were banned from discussing early exit poll results from their country’s presidential elections, Weibo users have been using code words to discuss sensitive political topics.

    (via The New York Times)

  • Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, Attempts to Censor Its Users

    Sina Weibo, the micro-blogging Chinese equivalent of Twitter, is preparing to issue new rules which dictate what its users can and cannot post to the site. Under what they’re calling a “user contract”, Sina Weibo will restrict individuals from posting content “that spreads rumors, disrupts social order, or destroys social stability.” The agreement also states that users cannot employ “oblique expressions” in order to get around these new regulations.

    Failure to comply with the rules may result in deleted posts or, in extreme instances, the disabling of the user’s account. Offending content has also been described as anything that dishonors the nation or supports illicit behavior. In short, if you make China look bad in any way, shape, or form, there is a very strong possibility that you will no longer have access to Sina Weibo. Presently, the site sports nearly 200 million users. That’s a lot of people to keep an eye on.

    The rise in concern over what people are posting comes straight from Beijing. Back in April, China’s Internet regular forced the site to close its comments section over what they described as “rumor mongering”.

    In order to keep track of who the troublemakers are and how much questionable content they’re posting to the site, Sina Weibo will utilize a point system to track offending activity. Each time you break a rule, points will be deduced from your total. Once you reach a certain level, you will no longer have access to your account.

    “It’s unclear how it will be implemented. If they do want to kiss up to Beijing, they could target posts related to internal politics,” Doug Young, a Chinese media expert from Fudan University in Shanghai, explained to CNN.

    Over the past few years, Chinese authorities have effectively shut down 16 websites that they feel are responsible for spreading rumors against the country. During this period, six people have been detained for allegedly spreading such falsehoods across the Internet.