China is intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence and discredit them, report says
2 years, 2 months ago

China is intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence and discredit them, report says

Op India  

China has been intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence them and discredit their critical coverage of China, according to think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The harassment “illustrates how online attacks can be used by authoritarian governments beyond borders to intimidate and silence journalists,” Nadine Hoffman, deputy director of the Washington-based International Women’s Media Foundation, wrote in an email to VOA According to June and November reports from ASPI, a network popularly dubbed Spamouflage is likely behind the harassment. But embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told VOA in June that “China condemns the harassment of female groups and opposes linking it to the Chinese government without evidence.” Twitter first attributed a “significant state-backed” operation to China in 2019 when the social media company identified over 900 accounts it said were linked to Beijing. According to VOA,the latest report from ASPI determined that graphic online depictions of sexual assault, as well as homophobia, racist imagery and life-threatening intimidation — like telling targets to kill themselves — “are a growing part of the Chinese Communist Party’s toolkit of digital transnational repression.” “People like you who betray the motherland, smear and slander at will, are really inferior to dogs,” one tweet cited in the report said.

China Women Harassment Online Report Chinese Hoffman Journalists Voa Women Journalists Iwmf  researchers  network  hoffman  report  online  china  intimidating  journalists  wrote  women  discredit  harassment  silence

History of this topic

After stabbings, China’s social media firms face scrutiny over hate speech
2 months ago

After stabbings, China’s social media firms face scrutiny over hate speech

Al Jazeera  

Chinese platforms have pledged to crack down on hate, but anti-foreigner sentiment still circulates widely online. Xenophobic and hyper-nationalistic comments are easy to come by on Chinese social media platforms, even after some of the country’s biggest tech firms last year pledged to crack down on hate speech following a series of knife attacks on Japanese and American nationals in …

Hong Kong journalists say they face unprecedented harassment from pro-China ‘patriots’
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Hong Kong journalists say they face unprecedented harassment from pro-China ‘patriots’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy At least 15 Hong Kong …

Chinese journalist who promoted #MeToo movement sentenced to 5 years in prison
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Chinese journalist who promoted #MeToo movement sentenced to 5 years in prison

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Supporters say a Chinese journalist who promoted women’s rights as part of the country’s nascent #MeToo movement has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of incitement to subvert state authority, almost three years after she and an activist were detained. Huang and Wang’s cases appear to have become intertwined as part of the most recent …

Chinese city officials issue a rare apology after authorities harass journalists on live TV
1 year ago

Chinese city officials issue a rare apology after authorities harass journalists on live TV

Associated Press  

TAIPEI, Taiwan — City officials in eastern China apologized to local journalists after authorities were shown pushing them and trying to obstruct reporting from the site of a deadly explosion, in a rare acknowledgment of state aggression against journalists. The city of Sanhe, near Beijing, issued a public apology Thursday after authorities were shown harassing reporters from state broadcaster CCTV …

2 Chinese Bloggers in Exile Warn That Police Are Interrogating Their Followers
1 year, 1 month ago

2 Chinese Bloggers in Exile Warn That Police Are Interrogating Their Followers

The Diplomat  

Wang Zhi’an and Li Ying said in separate posts that Chinese police were interrogating people who followed them on social media, and urged followers to take precautions. Two prominent Chinese bloggers in exile said police were investigating their millions of followers on international social media platforms, in an escalation of Beijing’s attempts to clamp down on critical speech even outside …

Big Brother is Watching: 66,000 censorship rules control content on search engines in China
1 year, 11 months ago

Big Brother is Watching: 66,000 censorship rules control content on search engines in China

Firstpost  

New Delhi: A recent report by the Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group at the University of Toronto, has revealed more than 66,000 rules of censorship that control the content that is available to people using search engines in China. Search engines operating in China reportedly created algorithms to ‘hard censor’ searches that the government thought were politically sensitive. If …

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, says report
2 years ago

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, says report

Firstpost  

New Delhi: Foreign media in China endured strict Covid controls, harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a report said. Over half of foreign journalists in the country were forced to leave a place or denied access on health and safety concerns last year, despite posing “no health risk by China’s own standards,” according to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China …

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows
2 years ago

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows

Hindustan Times  

Foreign journalists in China faced strict Covid controls, harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a report said. Nearly half of foreign journalists in China were ordered to leave a place or denied access on health and safety grounds in 2022 even though they did not present any "health risk by China's own standards", the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said …

Chinese users play cat-and-mouse with censors amid protests
2 years, 3 months ago

Chinese users play cat-and-mouse with censors amid protests

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — Videos of hundreds protesting in Shanghai started to appear on WeChat on Saturday night. “Chinese netizens have always been very creative because every idea used successfully once will be discovered by censors the next time,” said Liu Lipeng, a censor-turned-critic of China’s censorship practices. Others posted sarcastic messages like “Good good good sure sure sure right right …

Chinese users play cat-and-mouse with censors amid protests
2 years, 3 months ago

Chinese users play cat-and-mouse with censors amid protests

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I shared them too, but they would get …

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media
2 years, 4 months ago

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media

Firstpost  

A search for the names of the Chinese cities where mass, unprecedented protests are taking place over the strict zero-COVID policy saw users being flooded with lewd posts. In his long thread of messages, he added, “Sadly if a Chinese person decides to come to Twitter to find out what happened in China last night, these nsfw posts shared by …

China deploys 'bot police' to curb dissent online following nationwide protests
2 years, 4 months ago

China deploys 'bot police' to curb dissent online following nationwide protests

India Today  

Chinese netizens and cyberspace officials are intertwined in their surveillance dragnet to control the narrative around the widespread protests against the “zero Covid” policy by the government. While anti-government posts are being censored on popular Chinese social media platforms, even independent platforms outside China such as Twitter are being manipulated with paid After the deadly fire incident on Thursday, Chinese …

Chinese government used online trolls, Wumao Army, to insult Islam and hurt Uyghur Muslims: Report
2 years, 4 months ago

Chinese government used online trolls, Wumao Army, to insult Islam and hurt Uyghur Muslims: Report

Op India  

Theodoros Benakis, managing editor of New Europe, in a European Interest report has written that China’s genocidal policy toward Uyghurs, an ethnic Turkish group who live in Xinjiang, has reached a new low. The report highlights how the Wumao army, also known as the “50 Cent Army”, who are recognised as the Chinese government’s trolls, are used to insult Islam …

There is no need to dehumanize Chinese journalists
2 years, 8 months ago

There is no need to dehumanize Chinese journalists

China Daily  

Twitter profile of Chen Weihua on his personal page. As a long-time China Daily columnist, I'm aware of people outside China frequently distorting and misinterpreting my views as representing those of the newspaper, the Chinese government or the Communist Party of China. Some said China praises Biden while others claimed Biden was being trolled by the "Chinese state media". It …

WHO chief censored on China’s internet after calling zero-Covid unsustainable
2 years, 10 months ago

WHO chief censored on China’s internet after calling zero-Covid unsustainable

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. The censorship on Weibo and WeChat, China’s two largest social media platforms, targets WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ comments that expressed rare disagreement with Beijing’s policies. The …

Blinken says China biggest threat to press freedom for number of journalists detained
2 years, 10 months ago

Blinken says China biggest threat to press freedom for number of journalists detained

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Blinken said in a statement that “free speech – including free media, including …

Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdown
55 years, 2 months ago

Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdown

Wired  

If you search the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo for “Shanghai lockdown”, you’ll find plenty of videos of deserted streets and emergency workers delivering food. Back in 2013, state media said around 2 million people were employed to track content posted online, and Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, says censorship has become stricter since then. But the …

On International Women’s Day, China’s Netizens Remember the ‘Chained Woman’
2 years, 11 months ago

On International Women’s Day, China’s Netizens Remember the ‘Chained Woman’

The Diplomat  

March 8, International Women’s Day, was met with fanfare by Chinese companies and government officials, with the usual spate of pro-women slogans posted to social media accounts. May you live your dream, stay young at heart, and glow with beauty, grace and happiness.” As in Zhao’s comments, it’s notable that much of China’s official Women’s Day messaging seems to fully …

Social media companies could soon be forced to end anonymity for online trolls. But will this stop the trolling?
3 years, 3 months ago

Social media companies could soon be forced to end anonymity for online trolls. But will this stop the trolling?

ABC  

The federal government plans to crack down on "bots and bigots and trolls" by introducing legislation to parliament that will require social media companies to collect the details of all users. Blaming online anonymity for aggressive behaviour is "a really fundamental misunderstanding of the dynamics of these systems," Dr van der Nagel said. In 2018, the Queensland government engaged Dr …

How Peng Shuai’s case directly threaten the communists’ power in China
3 years, 4 months ago

How Peng Shuai’s case directly threaten the communists’ power in China

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The head of the Women’s Tennis Association, Steve Simon, …

UN investigator: Gender equality in free speech is far off
3 years, 5 months ago

UN investigator: Gender equality in free speech is far off

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — An independent U.N. investigator warned Monday that despite the Nobel Peace Prize to courageous Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, “gender equality in freedom of expression remains a distant goal.” Irene Khan, the special investigator on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression, said that “women’s voices are being suppressed by laws, policies of the state …

‘Terrifying’: Facebook whistleblower cites China, Iran, Myanmar and Ethiopia
3 years, 5 months ago

‘Terrifying’: Facebook whistleblower cites China, Iran, Myanmar and Ethiopia

CNN  

CNN — During much-anticipated testimony Tuesday before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen repeatedly pointed outside of the country for examples of how the social network could be used to dangerous ends – so much so that lawmakers wondered during the hearing if they should meet to specifically discuss national security concerns. Her last role at …

Online violence is silencing women journalists
3 years, 10 months ago

Online violence is silencing women journalists

Al Jazeera  

UNESCO has just announced the Philippine investigative journalist and media executive, Maria Ressa, as the winner of the Guillermo Cano Prize for Press Freedom, which honours champions of media freedom, particularly those who have faced danger in order to do this. Back in 2014, 23 percent of the women journalists who responded to a UNESCO survey said they had been …

Female journalists facing growing online attacks: UNESCO
3 years, 10 months ago

Female journalists facing growing online attacks: UNESCO

Al Jazeera  

Online violence against female journalists has increased “significantly” as a large majority experienced harassment, threats and abuse while doing their jobs, according to UNESCO’s latest findings. “Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the ‘shadow pandemic’ of violence against women during COVID-19,” the report stated. “This includes physical …

China is world’s ‘biggest jailer of journalists’, says RSF
3 years, 11 months ago

China is world’s ‘biggest jailer of journalists’, says RSF

Al Jazeera  

Reporters Without Borders says repression and attacks on press freedom increased worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The index examines the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories, and RSF said its data showed that journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in nearly three-quarters of the countries evaluated, making it even harder for people to access proper information at …

China takes on BBC, threatens it for its reporting on atrocities on Uyghurs
4 years, 1 month ago

China takes on BBC, threatens it for its reporting on atrocities on Uyghurs

Op India  

The British Broadcasting Corporation has come under fire from Chinese officials and its media after Britain’s media regulator withdrew the TV licence issued to Chinese state media outlet China Global Television Network. The war of words between the two countries began after Britain’s media outlets had expressed concerns on several issues concerning the People Republic of China, including Communist Party …

Blue Bird vs Red Dragon: Twitter Turns the Censorship Table on China by Blocking Uyghur Muslim Tweet
4 years, 2 months ago

Blue Bird vs Red Dragon: Twitter Turns the Censorship Table on China by Blocking Uyghur Muslim Tweet

News 18  

In yet another move that reveals the testy relationship between China and the American micro-blogging site Twitter, the latter has locked the official Twitter account of the Chinese Embassy to the United States. On January 7, 2020, the Chinese embassy tweeted that Uyghur women in Xinjiang were no longer “baby-making machines” suffering under extremism following the country’s “interventions” with the …

5 Predictions for Beijing’s Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021
4 years, 3 months ago

5 Predictions for Beijing’s Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021

The Diplomat  

China has long been home to the world’s most sophisticated system of internet controls. Spiking Censorship and Surveillance Surrounding COVID-19 Vaccines and Outbreaks At the center of the official cover-up that enabled COVID-19 to spread globally in early 2020 were the regime’s restrictions on internet freedom, particularly police interrogations of and forced retractions by medical professionals who shared early reports …

5 Predictions for Beijing’s Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021
4 years, 3 months ago

5 Predictions for Beijing’s Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021

The Diplomat  

China has long been home to the world’s most sophisticated system of internet controls. Spiking Censorship and Surveillance Surrounding COVID-19 Vaccines and Outbreaks At the center of the official cover-up that enabled COVID-19 to spread globally in early 2020 were the regime’s restrictions on internet freedom, particularly police interrogations of and forced retractions by medical professionals who shared early reports …

Women journalists are facing a growing threat online and offline
4 years, 4 months ago

Women journalists are facing a growing threat online and offline

Al Jazeera  

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it is important to throw light on a growing threat women journalists are facing today: The insidious problem of online violence is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences. In a global survey of 1,200 media workers, conducted by the International Center for Journalists and the United Nations Educational, …

China's foreign journalists face 'constant threat of expulsion' amid growing diplomatic spat, experts say
4 years, 6 months ago

China's foreign journalists face 'constant threat of expulsion' amid growing diplomatic spat, experts say

ABC  

Foreign media has become the latest casualty in what experts and a China foreign correspondent say are President Xi Jinping's efforts to strengthen "control on Chinese society". Key points: Birtles took refuge in Australia's Embassy in Beijing, while Smith went to Australia's Shanghai consulate A number of American journalists were also expelled from China this year China currently ranks 177 …

How China Snoops Using Social Media: Hackers Reveal Data from Surveillance Firms
4 years, 7 months ago

How China Snoops Using Social Media: Hackers Reveal Data from Surveillance Firms

News 18  

China is widely infamous for its public surveillance tactics. Now, a group of hackers named CCP Unmasked has claimed to have ‘hacked’ at least three Chinese companies, which they have claimed in interviews to be social media surveillance agencies. Additionally, documents revealed from the CCP Unmasked hack further claim that these firms also have working social media surveillance models for …

China vows to respond after US targets more state media outlets
4 years, 9 months ago

China vows to respond after US targets more state media outlets

CNN  

London CNN Business — China has vowed to make a “necessary and legitimate” response after the US government designated four more Chinese state media outlets as “foreign diplomatic missions.” On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it would treat China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily and the Global Times as arms of the Chinese government, arguing that …

China is mobilizing its global media machine in coronavirus war of words
4 years, 10 months ago

China is mobilizing its global media machine in coronavirus war of words

CNN  

London CNN Business — The story of the coronavirus pandemic can be complicated and hard to follow, from how it started to the measures countries have taken to tackle its spread. In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an “independent assessment of how this all occurred, so we can learn the lessons and prevent it from happening again.” …

China to expel more US journalists in escalating row over media
5 years ago

China to expel more US journalists in escalating row over media

Al Jazeera  

US announced earlier this month that five state-controlled Chinese media outlets would face restrictions. China has said it will revoke the credentials of journalists at three American newspapers after the United States imposed restrictions on Chinese nationals working at their state-owned media in the US. https://t.co/wVvTodyLxk — Hua Chunying 华春莹 March 17, 2020 “The US expulsion of Chinese journalists was …

China, the media and truth-telling in a crisis
5 years, 1 month ago

China, the media and truth-telling in a crisis

The Hindu  

On February 3, Caixin, a Chinese magazine known for its independent reporting — at least as independent as a media outlet can get in China — published the first of a four-part investigation. COVID-19 | For China’s Xi, the coronavirus challenge comes laden with economic costs and political risks The Wuhan outbreak has served a reminder that below the surface, …

‘Existential threat’: Report warns on China risk to human rights
5 years, 2 months ago

‘Existential threat’: Report warns on China risk to human rights

Al Jazeera  

Human Rights Watch report highlights abuses against Uighur minorities, activists in Hong Kong and warns of global risks. It also warns that China’s growing political influence and efforts to censor people abroad pose an “existential threat to the international human rights system.” “If not challenged, Beijing’s actions portend a dystopian future in which no one is beyond the reach of …

What I learned after my troll-defying tweet went viral (Opinion)
5 years, 6 months ago

What I learned after my troll-defying tweet went viral (Opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Melissa Blake is a freelance writer and blogger from Illinois. CNN — “Online harassment is the largest safety concern for female journalists, new study finds.” That’s the headline that I found myself staring at recently. “It’s not enough to mute or block somebody, you need to know if those threats are coming through, and we need more proactive …

Online harassment is the largest safety concern for female journalists, new study finds
5 years, 6 months ago

Online harassment is the largest safety concern for female journalists, new study finds

CNN  

New York CNN Business — Technology companies could be doing more to help ensure the safety of journalists, who face online threats and harassment, according to a press freedom group. Online harassment is the biggest safety concern facing many female journalists, according to Courtney Radsch, advocacy director at the Committee to Protect Journalists. “It’s not enough to mute or block …

Opinion: The Challenges Of Being A Foreign Reporter In China
5 years, 6 months ago

Opinion: The Challenges Of Being A Foreign Reporter In China

NPR  

Opinion: The Challenges Of Being A Foreign Reporter In China Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Kuan Yang Courtesy of Kuan Yang Frank Langfitt is NPR's international correspondent in London and was previously based in Shanghai, China. Last year, the Chinese government refused to renew a visa for a journalist with BuzzFeed who had written extensively about the mass …

Pro-democracy Hong Kong women protesters face online harassment by suspected pro-Beijing trolls; receive rape threats, doctored photos
5 years, 6 months ago

Pro-democracy Hong Kong women protesters face online harassment by suspected pro-Beijing trolls; receive rape threats, doctored photos

Firstpost  

Rape threats, body-shaming and doctored photos — women supporting the anti-government protests in Hong Kong say they are being harassed online by suspected pro-Beijing trolls. Hong Kong: Rape threats, body-shaming and doctored photos — women supporting the anti-government protests in Hong Kong say they are being harassed online by suspected pro-Beijing trolls. Celebrity Hong Kong singer turned activist Denise Ho …

Women journalists in the age of online trolls
5 years, 10 months ago

Women journalists in the age of online trolls

The Hindu  

On July 13, 2018, journalist Asma Shirazi interviewed former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he was coming back from London, along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, to face a prison sentence. Ninety-one percent women feel abuse is gendered and its nature is rarely professional but mostly personal.” Ms. Sirmed, a journalist and rights activist, said women are targeted because …

Repression in China at worst level since Tiananmen Square, HRW warns
6 years, 2 months ago

Repression in China at worst level since Tiananmen Square, HRW warns

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China’s assault on individual human …

#MeToo movement in China: Powerful yet fragile
6 years, 5 months ago

#MeToo movement in China: Powerful yet fragile

Al Jazeera  

Since last January, China has been experiencing a firestorm against sexual predation that reached universities, media outlets, sports teams, NGOs and even religious temples. The Chinese #MeToo movement participants have creatively spread discussions on sexual harassment cases on social media and saved censored information through screenshots and blockchains. On another top social media app, WeChat, movement participants spread screenshots of …

China tightens controls over internet content to make it 'clean and righteous'
6 years, 7 months ago

China tightens controls over internet content to make it 'clean and righteous'

Firstpost  

The internet must be “clean and righteous” and vulgar content must be resisted in the field of culture, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a meeting of senior propaganda officials, state media said on 22 August. The government has been tightening controls over internet content as part of what it says are efforts to maintain social stability, taking on “vulgar” and …

Women in China face unique #MeToo challenges, but see some progress
6 years, 8 months ago

Women in China face unique #MeToo challenges, but see some progress

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — Coming forward with an accusation of sexual harassment or assault is never easy. “Women working in human rights civil society in China are often pressured not to expose sexual abuses by male leaders so as not to jeopardize ‘the cause’,” journalist Yaqiu Wang wrote on Twitter. “This just shows that they don’t really see women as …

China struggles to find its #MeToo movement
7 years ago

China struggles to find its #MeToo movement

CNN  

Guangzhou, China CNN — Five years on, Zhang Qimao still simmers with rage over what happened to her when she reported a sexual assault to the police. In a country with a population of 1.4 billion, only 43,000 people were prosecuted for “crimes of violating women’s personal rights” from 2013 to 2017, according to the office of China’s top prosecutor. …

Reporter at China's political showpiece rolls her eyes and sets off a social media storm
7 years ago

Reporter at China's political showpiece rolls her eyes and sets off a social media storm

ABC  

A minor tiff between reporters at China's annual "Two Sessions" political meeting has set the country's social media alight and highlighted the sometimes farcical environment journalists covering the event have to work under. Key points: Liang Xiangyi reacted to a question from a journalist working for a state-affiliated network Media conferences at China's annual "Two Sessions" political meeting are often …

China’s internet censorship hampering country’s scientific and economic development, warns government adviser
8 years ago

China’s internet censorship hampering country’s scientific and economic development, warns government adviser

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Internet censorship in China is …

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