China Machete - Facebook’s dark future in China

China Machete

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Facebook’s dark future in China

A lot of journos and media organisations have been talking about how the Chinese government has banned access to the websites of the Falun Gong, the Tibetan Independence Movement, Amnesty and Reporters without Borders. However, I am yet to see anybody write about the crappy access to Facebook. Facebook has been experiencing problems ever since it released a Chinese version of the website, including the ability to have Chinese user names. I think some people have attributed the access problems to technical difficulties that have arisen due to the changeover to the URL of the Chinese version, but I think that is wishful thinking. If there ever has been a website that fits the Chinese government’s description of danger, then Facebook is it. This is a website that encourages people who have similar interests and beliefs to form groups, which is usually an extremely difficult thing to do in China, especially if the group hasn’t been formed under the auspices of the government.

A big brouhaha was made over Wen Jiabao’s popularity following the Wenchuan earthquake. But nobody really looked at the flipside of the coin, Wen Jiabao may have quite an online following, but so does the Dalai Lama, and possibly any other anti-Chinese government personality. Following the formation of Facebook’s Chinese version, who is to say that someone won’t form a Chinese language group that promotes a democracy activist within China (if it hasn’t occurred already)? Suddenly, people will have online access to that figure and he or she will be able to gain a following. Even a group supporting a Communist Party figure could be problematic – imagine if there was a group that supported Li Keqiang to be the next President of China and it gained a huge following. It would make Xi Jinping seem like an unpopular choice as the President elect. Already people have suggested that Hu Jintao’s recent online chat session was spurred by the fact that Wen’s antics in Wenchuan had made him seem like a people’s hero and put Hu in the shade.

Although the Chinese version of BBC and a host of other sites are currently available in China, most people here expecting them to be cut off again once the Olympics finish. In regards to Facebook, I think we can expect the off again, on again access to the social networking site to continue and probably worsen.

Posted: 10:06 PM, 4/8/2008 in Blogging and the media

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http://shenwen.org

PM Wen Jiaobao during the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake quickly gained 50k+ supporters on Facebook, despite the crappy access. He's still now ranking at No.6 amongst a dozen of Western politicians. It's quite obvious that such things on Facebook can work both ways. And that's what the Chinese government don't want to see.
Posted by Anonymous at 4:48 PM, 5/8/2008	Link

censorship

Internet censorship helps the Chinese authorities to hide the true extent of human rights abuses - like their use of the death penalty, torture and detention without trial and the persecution of human rights defenders.

The Internet should be a medium for the freedom of expression, not repression.

Sign Amnesty International Australia's anti-censorship pledge - at http://action.uncensor.com.au/pledge/

Posted by Anonymous at 2:12 PM, 6/8/2008

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I've never had a problem with Facebook in China. I'm in it right now.
Posted by Anonymous at 12:10 PM, 15/8/2008	Link

Other social networking sites

Facebook is being blocked may mean social media is a concern to China--but there are many sites out there that the Chinese government allows as social networking.

My theories are the following:

-Chinese government is cutting it down to support its nascent 校内 (xiaonei).
-Chinese government is using their ability to block as a leverage to force Facebook to give them access into the Chinese version (a la Google).

Wouldn't really call it a danger, but maybe that's mere semantics.

Posted by Demerzel at 11:58 AM, 16/8/2008

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Blocked Access

I can see why they would block it, or perhaps they know how much time we waste online using is in the US, Australia and everywhere else and don't want Chinese workers doing the same... ...okay bad joke.
Posted by AngelaJames at 8:47 PM, 23/9/2008	Link

Wasting time

I think Chinese workers are just as adept as their Western counterparts at wasting time at work. :-)
Posted by zhangbohan at 10:40 PM, 23/9/2008	Link

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