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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKBN20Q1VS
March 3, 2020 / 9:05 AM / Updated 2 hours ago
Report says China internet firms censored coronavirus terms, criticism early in outbreak
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese social media platforms began censoring references to coronavirus and keywords critical of the government’s handling of the infection as early as December, Toronto-based cyber research group Citizen Lab said in a report on Tuesday.
Chinese messenger app WeChat, owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd, and JOYY Inc’s video streaming app YY blocked keyword combinations that included criticisms of President Xi Jinping, local officials and policies linked to the virus, the report found.
Citizen Lab said the findings, gathered between December and February, suggest that companies “received official guidance” on how to manage virus content in the early stages of the outbreak, which expanded throughout the testing period.
Blocked terms also included non-critical phrases related to public health and local rules, including “travel ban” and “people-to-people transmission”...
March 3, 2020 / 9:05 AM / Updated 2 hours ago
Report says China internet firms censored coronavirus terms, criticism early in outbreak
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese social media platforms began censoring references to coronavirus and keywords critical of the government’s handling of the infection as early as December, Toronto-based cyber research group Citizen Lab said in a report on Tuesday.
Chinese messenger app WeChat, owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd, and JOYY Inc’s video streaming app YY blocked keyword combinations that included criticisms of President Xi Jinping, local officials and policies linked to the virus, the report found.
Citizen Lab said the findings, gathered between December and February, suggest that companies “received official guidance” on how to manage virus content in the early stages of the outbreak, which expanded throughout the testing period.
Blocked terms also included non-critical phrases related to public health and local rules, including “travel ban” and “people-to-people transmission”...