#Newspaper
WeChat froze 300 thousand RMB capital suddenly
A user asked government authority to help, Authority said Tencent has ownership of the account
(21 Jun) According to a news report from local media in China, Miss Wong in Fuzhou operates an advertising company and settles most of the transactions via WeChat. Due to suspected violation in her deal, some functions of collecting money in her account had been restricted. Afterwards, Tencent directly froze her account, including 300 thousand RMB.
Miss Wong contacted customer services of Tencent immediately and provided company details, invoice records and her identity information after she knew her account was frozen. After appealing more than ten times, the result was still “remain unchanged”. She even didn’t know which rule she had violated in transactions.
Miss Wong asked the media to help. With the help of media, Miss Wong got the reply from Tencent, “user has right of using WeChat, but Tencent has ownership of the account. “
Finally, after journalist intervened two days later, the restriction in Miss Wong’s account was lifted. Tencent apologized for that and explained that was an internal mistake. After media reporting this case, Wechat has an official message in Weibo, “Remember, your money is yours.” However, netizens in mainland China were dissatisfied with this case since Tencent didn’t have the right to freeze users’ money.
Source: Fanpiece
#WeChat #Tencent #AccountFrozen #China #ElectronicPayment
WeChat froze 300 thousand RMB capital suddenly
A user asked government authority to help, Authority said Tencent has ownership of the account
(21 Jun) According to a news report from local media in China, Miss Wong in Fuzhou operates an advertising company and settles most of the transactions via WeChat. Due to suspected violation in her deal, some functions of collecting money in her account had been restricted. Afterwards, Tencent directly froze her account, including 300 thousand RMB.
Miss Wong contacted customer services of Tencent immediately and provided company details, invoice records and her identity information after she knew her account was frozen. After appealing more than ten times, the result was still “remain unchanged”. She even didn’t know which rule she had violated in transactions.
Miss Wong asked the media to help. With the help of media, Miss Wong got the reply from Tencent, “user has right of using WeChat, but Tencent has ownership of the account. “
Finally, after journalist intervened two days later, the restriction in Miss Wong’s account was lifted. Tencent apologized for that and explained that was an internal mistake. After media reporting this case, Wechat has an official message in Weibo, “Remember, your money is yours.” However, netizens in mainland China were dissatisfied with this case since Tencent didn’t have the right to freeze users’ money.
Source: Fanpiece
#WeChat #Tencent #AccountFrozen #China #ElectronicPayment
FanPiece
微信30萬資金突然被凍結 用戶求助官方：騰訊擁有所有權 - FanPiece
近日據國內媒體報導，福州一位經營廣告公司的王女士，平常生活大多時都會利用微信進行交易。近日因她的賬戶涉嫌違規交易，被限制部分收款功能，隨更後直接將其賬戶中近30萬資金凍結。 王女士得知帳戶被凍結後，即時聯繫騰訊客服，並提供企業信息、訂單信息、身份信息等資料，但申訴十多次得到的回座仍是"維持原判"，甚至她都不知道自己犯下哪條所謂的違規交易。 其後王女士只好向媒體求助，在記者的協助下再次跟...
#Newspaper
India Bans Nearly 60 Chinese Apps, Including TikTok and WeChat
// India government banned nearly 60 Chinese mobile apps on Monday, including TikTok, citing national security concerns
//While India has vowed to retaliate, it lags far behind China in military and economic power, leaving it with few options. But Chinese telecommunication and social networking companies have long eyed India’s giant market and its enormous potential.
//The Chinese apps were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India,”
//“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defense of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,”
//This month’s border brawl was the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed countries in more than 50 years.
//Cybersecurity analysts have warned in the past about the risks Chinese apps and telecom companies may pose, citing the country’s National Intelligence Law. The law holds Chinese companies legally responsible for providing access, cooperation or support for Chinese intelligence gathering.
//while the Indian government has had longstanding worries that Chinese companies are dominating local markets and are beating out Indian app developers, it also has national security concerns about what China does with the data it collects.
//Internet researchers have long warned that competing national interests could lead to a more fractured internet, with people’s access to certain information and services limited by their governments.
Full article: The New York Times,(29-Jun)
Further reading:
PM Modi quits Chinese app Weibo, message loud and clear, says BJP
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pm-modi-quits-weibo-chinese-app-6485545/
#India #China #Tiktok #WeChat #apps #military #cybersecurity #datacollect
India Bans Nearly 60 Chinese Apps, Including TikTok and WeChat
// India government banned nearly 60 Chinese mobile apps on Monday, including TikTok, citing national security concerns
//While India has vowed to retaliate, it lags far behind China in military and economic power, leaving it with few options. But Chinese telecommunication and social networking companies have long eyed India’s giant market and its enormous potential.
//The Chinese apps were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India,”
//“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defense of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,”
//This month’s border brawl was the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed countries in more than 50 years.
//Cybersecurity analysts have warned in the past about the risks Chinese apps and telecom companies may pose, citing the country’s National Intelligence Law. The law holds Chinese companies legally responsible for providing access, cooperation or support for Chinese intelligence gathering.
//while the Indian government has had longstanding worries that Chinese companies are dominating local markets and are beating out Indian app developers, it also has national security concerns about what China does with the data it collects.
//Internet researchers have long warned that competing national interests could lead to a more fractured internet, with people’s access to certain information and services limited by their governments.
Full article: The New York Times,(29-Jun)
Further reading:
PM Modi quits Chinese app Weibo, message loud and clear, says BJP
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pm-modi-quits-weibo-chinese-app-6485545/
#India #China #Tiktok #WeChat #apps #military #cybersecurity #datacollect
NY Times
India Bans Nearly 60 Chinese Apps, Including TikTok and WeChat (Published 2020)
The move is part of the tit-for-tat retaliation after the Indian and Chinese militaries clashed earlier this month.
#Newspaper
Twitter and TikTok in fake news firing line
//China’s political manipulation of social media sites has prompted a swift response from the Morrison government.
//In early 2019, a delegation of senior Australian government officials travelled to Shenzhen, China, where they were permitted into a gleaming, two-towered building in the city’s far west.
//The AEC’s idea was to open the lines of communication with the social media player, recognising the platform as a potential conduit for disinformation ahead of the May 18, 2019 federal election.
//Similar meetings took place in Silicon Valley with Twitter, Facebook and Google. But recognising #WeChat’s two million-plus user base in #Australia
//#Tencent was “receptive”, Rogers says, opening the way for a “collaborative relationship” during the 2019 campaign.
//However, just over 12 months later, an explosion of fake news around the world and the rise of misinformation and foreign government interference across almost all the biggest social media platforms has infuriated the Morrison government
//Twitter released an archive of 23,750 suspended accounts connected to Chinese state-backed information operations... These accounts aimed to sow discord across several fronts — including propaganda against Hong Kong protesters who are portrayed repeatedly as violent and referred to as “cockroaches”, and in linking the COVID-19 outbreak to Hong Kong or the US.
//Twitter is banned in China, but most of the misinformation is aimed at the Chinese-speaking diaspora, including in Australia.
//WeChat has an estimated 2.9 million Australian users. Australian political parties believe the platform has the potential to affect election results in up to six federal seats, which have high numbers of Chinese-Australian voters.
//Its aim is to use Australian diplomacy... to call out disinformation and shame the state actors behind fake news.
//the use of social media platforms in Australia “that are extensions of social platforms in authoritarian states” pose a particular problem.
//foreign state-sponsored social media campaigns can be conducted at any time in response to geopolitical developments, not just during elections.
//Australia needs to spend less on submarines and more on bolstering cyber defences and weeding out disinformation from strategic rivals, including China.
//“China is also being blamed for COVID-19, so they are reaching out around the globe to try and control these narratives,”
//The government has also tasked communications watchdog ACMA with developing a new #misinformation and news quality code of practice, in a bid to reduce the impact of fake news.
Full Article: The Australian, (11-Jul)
#ChinesePlatform #FakeNews #Tiktok #cyberdefence #SocialMedia #Election #Coronavirus #propaganda
Twitter and TikTok in fake news firing line
//China’s political manipulation of social media sites has prompted a swift response from the Morrison government.
//In early 2019, a delegation of senior Australian government officials travelled to Shenzhen, China, where they were permitted into a gleaming, two-towered building in the city’s far west.
//The AEC’s idea was to open the lines of communication with the social media player, recognising the platform as a potential conduit for disinformation ahead of the May 18, 2019 federal election.
//Similar meetings took place in Silicon Valley with Twitter, Facebook and Google. But recognising #WeChat’s two million-plus user base in #Australia
//#Tencent was “receptive”, Rogers says, opening the way for a “collaborative relationship” during the 2019 campaign.
//However, just over 12 months later, an explosion of fake news around the world and the rise of misinformation and foreign government interference across almost all the biggest social media platforms has infuriated the Morrison government
//Twitter released an archive of 23,750 suspended accounts connected to Chinese state-backed information operations... These accounts aimed to sow discord across several fronts — including propaganda against Hong Kong protesters who are portrayed repeatedly as violent and referred to as “cockroaches”, and in linking the COVID-19 outbreak to Hong Kong or the US.
//Twitter is banned in China, but most of the misinformation is aimed at the Chinese-speaking diaspora, including in Australia.
//WeChat has an estimated 2.9 million Australian users. Australian political parties believe the platform has the potential to affect election results in up to six federal seats, which have high numbers of Chinese-Australian voters.
//Its aim is to use Australian diplomacy... to call out disinformation and shame the state actors behind fake news.
//the use of social media platforms in Australia “that are extensions of social platforms in authoritarian states” pose a particular problem.
//foreign state-sponsored social media campaigns can be conducted at any time in response to geopolitical developments, not just during elections.
//Australia needs to spend less on submarines and more on bolstering cyber defences and weeding out disinformation from strategic rivals, including China.
//“China is also being blamed for COVID-19, so they are reaching out around the globe to try and control these narratives,”
//The government has also tasked communications watchdog ACMA with developing a new #misinformation and news quality code of practice, in a bid to reduce the impact of fake news.
Full Article: The Australian, (11-Jul)
#ChinesePlatform #FakeNews #Tiktok #cyberdefence #SocialMedia #Election #Coronavirus #propaganda
#Newspaper
Tencent’s WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
//Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issue
//India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
//“We value each of our users, and data security and privacy are of utmost importance to us,” the notice said. “We are engaging with relevant authorities and hope to be able to resume service in the future.”
//Some affected Indian users reached out to WeChat’s Twitter account for help.
//Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington could sanction Chinese social media apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over privacy issues and potential national security risks.
//That has sparked anxiety among many overseas Chinese who use WeChat to keep in touch with family and friends back home, as well as many western companies and individuals who use the app for business.
//The ban came on the back of online protests calling for people in the vast South Asian country to boycott a range of Chinese-made goods, from apps to smartphones, after a deadly skirmish between the Indian Army and Chinese troops along the two nations’ disputed Himalayan border on June 15.
//While there are many uncertainties about the ban, particularly about how it will be enforced in the long term, other affected Chinese app providers have also moved to comply with the Indian government’s directive, including removing their presence in app stores.
Full Article:South China Morning Post(27-Jul)
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#Tenent #Tiktok #wechat #India #Chineseapps
Tencent’s WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
//Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issue
//India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
//“We value each of our users, and data security and privacy are of utmost importance to us,” the notice said. “We are engaging with relevant authorities and hope to be able to resume service in the future.”
//Some affected Indian users reached out to WeChat’s Twitter account for help.
//Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington could sanction Chinese social media apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over privacy issues and potential national security risks.
//That has sparked anxiety among many overseas Chinese who use WeChat to keep in touch with family and friends back home, as well as many western companies and individuals who use the app for business.
//The ban came on the back of online protests calling for people in the vast South Asian country to boycott a range of Chinese-made goods, from apps to smartphones, after a deadly skirmish between the Indian Army and Chinese troops along the two nations’ disputed Himalayan border on June 15.
//While there are many uncertainties about the ban, particularly about how it will be enforced in the long term, other affected Chinese app providers have also moved to comply with the Indian government’s directive, including removing their presence in app stores.
Full Article:South China Morning Post(27-Jul)
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#Tenent #Tiktok #wechat #India #Chineseapps
South China Morning Post
WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
The stakes are high for Tencent to comply with the ban because at least 10 of the company’s apps have been blacklisted in India, including QQ Mail, QQ Music and short-video platform Kwai.
#MadeInChina #COVID19Vaccine #FakeVaccine
Made-in-China Fake COVID19 Vaccine Sold Via Chinese WeChat
Source: Liberty Times, Taiwan #Aug13 https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3259576
#CoronaVac #WeChat
Read more
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24350
Made-in-China Fake COVID19 Vaccine Sold Via Chinese WeChat
Source: Liberty Times, Taiwan #Aug13 https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3259576
#CoronaVac #WeChat
Read more
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24350
#MadeInChina #COVID19Vaccine #FakeVaccine
Made-in-China Fake COVID19 Vaccine Sold Via Chinese WeChat
Currently, no COVID-19 vaccine has been proven and manufactured for use in the world. Howevet, a fake vaccine can already be found on the internet in China. This fake vaccine claims to be produced from a "well-known" pharmaceutical company. Each dose of vaccine is marked at 498 RMB (~ 72 USD).
According to Chinese media reports, netizens have put “fake vaccines” on WeChat for sale. A WeChat message reads, “Please contact me if you need a COVID-19 vaccine. We do export as well. But, you will be on a waitlist first due to limited supply.” Also, it claims that the first batch of vaccines will be officially on sale on 2 September 2020.
Another message reads, “A China-made vaccine is already available. One dose is 498 RMB. Each treatment needs three doses in total. Healthcare workers and those who need to go abroad have priority. The vaccine will be widely available by the end of this year.”
The name of the vaccine “CoronaVac an inactivated vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 (Vero cell)“ is printed on the package and the product’s barcode could be traced to Sinovac Biotech and Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.
Source: Liberty Times, Taiwan #Aug13
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3259576
#CoronaVac #WeChat
Made-in-China Fake COVID19 Vaccine Sold Via Chinese WeChat
Currently, no COVID-19 vaccine has been proven and manufactured for use in the world. Howevet, a fake vaccine can already be found on the internet in China. This fake vaccine claims to be produced from a "well-known" pharmaceutical company. Each dose of vaccine is marked at 498 RMB (~ 72 USD).
According to Chinese media reports, netizens have put “fake vaccines” on WeChat for sale. A WeChat message reads, “Please contact me if you need a COVID-19 vaccine. We do export as well. But, you will be on a waitlist first due to limited supply.” Also, it claims that the first batch of vaccines will be officially on sale on 2 September 2020.
Another message reads, “A China-made vaccine is already available. One dose is 498 RMB. Each treatment needs three doses in total. Healthcare workers and those who need to go abroad have priority. The vaccine will be widely available by the end of this year.”
The name of the vaccine “CoronaVac an inactivated vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 (Vero cell)“ is printed on the package and the product’s barcode could be traced to Sinovac Biotech and Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.
Source: Liberty Times, Taiwan #Aug13
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3259576
#CoronaVac #WeChat
自由時報電子報
武漢肺炎》中國「假疫苗」先開賣！ 外觀逼真一劑賣2100元 - 國際 - 自由時報電子報
武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，COVID-19）疫情蔓延全球，各國紛紛投入疫苗研發工作。沒想到，中國自家疫苗還沒上市，網路就先出現偽造知名藥廠生產、外觀逼真的「假疫苗」，一劑要賣人民幣498元（約新台幣2100元）。綜合中媒報導，中國微信有網民販售假疫苗，文案上寫「需要新冠疫苗的聯繫我，可做出口，產量低需排隊」，還聲稱批疫苗將會在9月2日正式上線。另有網民喊出，「498一支，總共打3支，已經出來了。醫護人員和出國人員可以先用。差不多年底，能普及了。」
Washington Sanctions HK and Chinese Officials
The United States has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong officials, including the city's pro-China leader Carrie Lam, for being directly responsible for implementing the national security law, working with the Chinese Communist Party in undermining the autonomy and cracking down on the freedoms in Hong Kong.
The US Treasury Department said the sanctions on Lam and 10 other officials were authorised by an executive order signed recently by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
One of the results of this action is that blocks all property and/or other assets that the individuals have within US jurisdiction.
In the midst of this, the US is also seeking to ban several Chinese social media services due to security reasons. There is also a tariff war going on between US and China over Beijing's technological ambitions.
Source: ABC News Australia #Aug08
#USA #China #SanctionList #TikTok #WeChat #ByteDance #Huawei #TariffWar
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-08/us-sanctions-pro-china-leader-of-hong-kong,-other-officials/12537472
The United States has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong officials, including the city's pro-China leader Carrie Lam, for being directly responsible for implementing the national security law, working with the Chinese Communist Party in undermining the autonomy and cracking down on the freedoms in Hong Kong.
The US Treasury Department said the sanctions on Lam and 10 other officials were authorised by an executive order signed recently by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
One of the results of this action is that blocks all property and/or other assets that the individuals have within US jurisdiction.
In the midst of this, the US is also seeking to ban several Chinese social media services due to security reasons. There is also a tariff war going on between US and China over Beijing's technological ambitions.
Source: ABC News Australia #Aug08
#USA #China #SanctionList #TikTok #WeChat #ByteDance #Huawei #TariffWar
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-08/us-sanctions-pro-china-leader-of-hong-kong,-other-officials/12537472
www.abc.net.au
US includes Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on new sanctions list
The US imposes sanctions on 11 Hong Kong officials, accusing them of cooperating with Beijing's effort to undermine autonomy and crack down on freedom in the former British colony.
#OpinionArticle
The Pentagon Is Urging Its Subordinates Not To Test Their Genes Casually, How About You?
(24 Aug) On 20 December, 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense issued an internal memo advising its component personnel not to use commercial DNA testing kits, citing the potential security risks posed by these tests.
//but the protection of privacy for the subject is close to zero. Even if you buy the set under a false name, pay for it with a secret credit card, and receive it at an address that is not your own, the DNA sample is unique to you and can be traced back to only you.
//In the People's Republic of China, notifications can even be set up as a WeChat widget, which is how your personal genetic information is linked to WeChat. As long as you have a few more people around you who are genetically linked to you for testing, your relationship and your personal identity will have nowhere to hide.
Full translation: https://telegra.ph/The-Pentagon-Is-Urging-Its-Subordinates-Not-To-Test-Their-Genes-Casually-How-About-You-09-07
Source: Pazu’s Facebook
https://bit.ly/2R2Gjsc
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
#DNAtest #GeneticInformation #Privacy #CommunityWideTesting #WeGene #CircleDNA #23MagicCube #WeChat
The Pentagon Is Urging Its Subordinates Not To Test Their Genes Casually, How About You?
(24 Aug) On 20 December, 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense issued an internal memo advising its component personnel not to use commercial DNA testing kits, citing the potential security risks posed by these tests.
//but the protection of privacy for the subject is close to zero. Even if you buy the set under a false name, pay for it with a secret credit card, and receive it at an address that is not your own, the DNA sample is unique to you and can be traced back to only you.
//In the People's Republic of China, notifications can even be set up as a WeChat widget, which is how your personal genetic information is linked to WeChat. As long as you have a few more people around you who are genetically linked to you for testing, your relationship and your personal identity will have nowhere to hide.
Full translation: https://telegra.ph/The-Pentagon-Is-Urging-Its-Subordinates-Not-To-Test-Their-Genes-Casually-How-About-You-09-07
Source: Pazu’s Facebook
https://bit.ly/2R2Gjsc
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
#DNAtest #GeneticInformation #Privacy #CommunityWideTesting #WeGene #CircleDNA #23MagicCube #WeChat
Telegraph
The Pentagon Is Urging Its Subordinates Not To Test Their Genes Casually, How About You?
(24 Aug) On December 20, 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense issued an internal memo advising its component personnel not to use commercial DNA testing kits, citing the potential security risks posed by these tests. The summary of the memo is as follow:…
WeChat Censorship Tightens with Chinese State Media Articles Containing Sensitive Words Blocked Too, Says University of Toronto Study
A report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab released this week shows that censorship on WeChat has been tightened. The lab tracked changes to WeChat’s list of censored words between this January and May. It was found that over 2,000 words relating to the pandemic have been marked sensitive and blocked. An article by the state media, too, would disappear from the platform if it contains any of those sensitive words, shwoing that the freedom of expression on WeChat is even more limited than that allowed by the state media.
As WeChat censors contents on a remote server, it was not possible for the researchers to understand how the censorship works by inspecting the codes. What they did instead was to create three dummy accounts with one Chinese and two Canadian numbers. They then started a group conversation where they shared Chinese-language articles from media organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. By observing which articles were blocked, they identified the words deemed sensitive by WeChat.
The study reveals that more than 2,000 words relating to the Wuhan virus pandemic were blocked by WeChat between this January and May, even if they came in an article by the state media. That WeChat banned certain topics allowed by the state-controlled media is a sign that it adheres to an even more stringent standard.
The investigation shows how WeChat has manipulated the narrative on the pandemic from the start. It was found that back when Wuhan was placed under lockdown, WeChat was already blocking texts containing the name of the whistle-blower Li Wenliang. Reports of the Chinese authorities informing the US of the outbreak as early as on 3 January were also blocked. Articles containing the terms “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” and “SARS-CoV-2”, too, were banned from being circulated.
As the epidemic spread to the rest of world in March, WeChat began blocking articles mentioning such international organizations as the WHO and the Red Cross and those that dealt with outbreaks in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and the UK. Articles containing keywords about the US and international relations were also banned.
#UniversityOfToronto #UofT #CitizenLab #China #WeChat #Censorship #Pandemic #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #LiWenliang
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3h3ftL4
A report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab released this week shows that censorship on WeChat has been tightened. The lab tracked changes to WeChat’s list of censored words between this January and May. It was found that over 2,000 words relating to the pandemic have been marked sensitive and blocked. An article by the state media, too, would disappear from the platform if it contains any of those sensitive words, shwoing that the freedom of expression on WeChat is even more limited than that allowed by the state media.
As WeChat censors contents on a remote server, it was not possible for the researchers to understand how the censorship works by inspecting the codes. What they did instead was to create three dummy accounts with one Chinese and two Canadian numbers. They then started a group conversation where they shared Chinese-language articles from media organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. By observing which articles were blocked, they identified the words deemed sensitive by WeChat.
The study reveals that more than 2,000 words relating to the Wuhan virus pandemic were blocked by WeChat between this January and May, even if they came in an article by the state media. That WeChat banned certain topics allowed by the state-controlled media is a sign that it adheres to an even more stringent standard.
The investigation shows how WeChat has manipulated the narrative on the pandemic from the start. It was found that back when Wuhan was placed under lockdown, WeChat was already blocking texts containing the name of the whistle-blower Li Wenliang. Reports of the Chinese authorities informing the US of the outbreak as early as on 3 January were also blocked. Articles containing the terms “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” and “SARS-CoV-2”, too, were banned from being circulated.
As the epidemic spread to the rest of world in March, WeChat began blocking articles mentioning such international organizations as the WHO and the Red Cross and those that dealt with outbreaks in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and the UK. Articles containing keywords about the US and international relations were also banned.
#UniversityOfToronto #UofT #CitizenLab #China #WeChat #Censorship #Pandemic #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #LiWenliang
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3h3ftL4
#Sanction
U.S. to Ban Transaction and Download of China's #WeChat and #Tiktok From Sept 20, 2020
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a statement on Sept 18, 2020, prohibiting transactions and downloads relating to Chinese mobile applications WeChat and TikTok, starting from Sept 20, 2020. Hosting or transfering internet traffic associated with WeChat will also be banned.
"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the U.S."
These threats include "collect[ing] vast swaths of data from users, including network activity, location data, and browsing and search histories"; being "active participant in China’s civil-military fusion"; and their "mandatory cooperation with the intelligence services of the CCP."
Source: U.S. Commerce Department #Sept18
Image: AP
https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/09/commerce-department-prohibits-wechat-and-tiktok-transactions-protect
U.S. to Ban Transaction and Download of China's #WeChat and #Tiktok From Sept 20, 2020
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a statement on Sept 18, 2020, prohibiting transactions and downloads relating to Chinese mobile applications WeChat and TikTok, starting from Sept 20, 2020. Hosting or transfering internet traffic associated with WeChat will also be banned.
"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the U.S."
These threats include "collect[ing] vast swaths of data from users, including network activity, location data, and browsing and search histories"; being "active participant in China’s civil-military fusion"; and their "mandatory cooperation with the intelligence services of the CCP."
Source: U.S. Commerce Department #Sept18
Image: AP
https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/09/commerce-department-prohibits-wechat-and-tiktok-transactions-protect
Australian Media Said a WeChat Group Organised to Complain University Staff, Suppressing on Giving a Higher Score
Australia is the first choice for many Chinese students studying abroad. The Australian discovered that a local WeChat group initiated an organised petition to complain about individual staff, intending to obtain a better academic result through suppression. The media then found out that the same group uses the same method to target lecturers and researchers who have ever criticised China.
According to The Australian, Sydney International Student Help Group, the WeChat group, claimed that they could overthrow the unsatisfied exam results or assignment grades at the advertisement in the chats and on the local Chinese websites. The media once pointed out that some lecturers at universities lowered the grade boundaries for students who have limited English proficiency, or else, they would receive complaints from hundreds of students. At the time, some affected students speculated that there might have other people helping students to organise and to write the complaint letter.
The group administrators are named “Chairperson” or “Senior” with unknown identities. After the investigation by The Australian, “Monkey King”, a migration and studying abroad agency, may take control of the group admin. The Australian therefore enquired Monkey King, but the spokesperson Katie Howe refused to comment on this issue. Nevertheless, the representative lawyer of one of the shareholders, Chenrul Dong, said that the company did use the group for service promotion, but do not have the permission to control the group. Apart from institutions, the company website also shows the corporation relationship with Chinese organisations, such as NetEase and Today Media Group.
#China #Australia #AcademicFreedom #Suppression #TheAustralian #MonkeyKing #WeChat
Source: Stand News #Nov19
https://bit.ly/3mmcroH
Australia is the first choice for many Chinese students studying abroad. The Australian discovered that a local WeChat group initiated an organised petition to complain about individual staff, intending to obtain a better academic result through suppression. The media then found out that the same group uses the same method to target lecturers and researchers who have ever criticised China.
According to The Australian, Sydney International Student Help Group, the WeChat group, claimed that they could overthrow the unsatisfied exam results or assignment grades at the advertisement in the chats and on the local Chinese websites. The media once pointed out that some lecturers at universities lowered the grade boundaries for students who have limited English proficiency, or else, they would receive complaints from hundreds of students. At the time, some affected students speculated that there might have other people helping students to organise and to write the complaint letter.
The group administrators are named “Chairperson” or “Senior” with unknown identities. After the investigation by The Australian, “Monkey King”, a migration and studying abroad agency, may take control of the group admin. The Australian therefore enquired Monkey King, but the spokesperson Katie Howe refused to comment on this issue. Nevertheless, the representative lawyer of one of the shareholders, Chenrul Dong, said that the company did use the group for service promotion, but do not have the permission to control the group. Apart from institutions, the company website also shows the corporation relationship with Chinese organisations, such as NetEase and Today Media Group.
#China #Australia #AcademicFreedom #Suppression #TheAustralian #MonkeyKing #WeChat
Source: Stand News #Nov19
https://bit.ly/3mmcroH
立場新聞 Stand News
澳洲媒體：微信群組涉組織學生投訴大學教職員 施壓改分數、刪批華言論 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
澳洲是不少中國學生的留學首選，《澳洲人報》發現當地有微信群組有組織地發起職署投訴個別教職員，企圖透過施壓搏取更...
Australian PM's response of 'Australian Army Killing Children' Picture Controversy Censored by Wechat for 'Misleading and Contrary to Objective Facts'
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian caused a diplomatic storm after posted a cartoon satirising killing the Afghan civilians by Australian soldiers on Twitter. On Tuesday (1 December), Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison posted a comment on WeChat in response to Zhao, but was deleted by WeChat, due to "inflammatory, misleading and contrary to objective facts". The incident has also caught international attention, such as New Zealand, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, issuing statements supporting Australia.
Zhao Lijian recently shared a cartoon on the social networking site Twitter, sketching Australian soldiers killing an Afghan child. Morrison criticised China on Monday (30 November) that the fake image is offensive and revolting, and demanded an apology with image removal from China.
Morrison later issued another WeChat commentary, saying that the military crime report allegations were being dealt with in an "honest and transparent" manner, stressing that Australia was dealing with military crimes in the way that "any free, democratic and enlightened country" would. Morrison also said that the diplomatic row between Australia and China would not diminish Australia's respect and appreciation for the Chinese people. Australian media said 57,000 people had clicked to view the comment.
Source: Stand News #Dec03
https://bit.ly/2KSq0P0
#China #Australia #SinoAustrlianRelations #ChineseForeignMinistry #ChineseForeignMinistrySpokesman #ZhaoLijian #AustralianPrimeMinister #ScottMorrison #SatireCartoon #AustralianSoldier #WeChat #Censorship
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian caused a diplomatic storm after posted a cartoon satirising killing the Afghan civilians by Australian soldiers on Twitter. On Tuesday (1 December), Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison posted a comment on WeChat in response to Zhao, but was deleted by WeChat, due to "inflammatory, misleading and contrary to objective facts". The incident has also caught international attention, such as New Zealand, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, issuing statements supporting Australia.
Zhao Lijian recently shared a cartoon on the social networking site Twitter, sketching Australian soldiers killing an Afghan child. Morrison criticised China on Monday (30 November) that the fake image is offensive and revolting, and demanded an apology with image removal from China.
Morrison later issued another WeChat commentary, saying that the military crime report allegations were being dealt with in an "honest and transparent" manner, stressing that Australia was dealing with military crimes in the way that "any free, democratic and enlightened country" would. Morrison also said that the diplomatic row between Australia and China would not diminish Australia's respect and appreciation for the Chinese people. Australian media said 57,000 people had clicked to view the comment.
Source: Stand News #Dec03
https://bit.ly/2KSq0P0
#China #Australia #SinoAustrlianRelations #ChineseForeignMinistry #ChineseForeignMinistrySpokesman #ZhaoLijian #AustralianPrimeMinister #ScottMorrison #SatireCartoon #AustralianSoldier #WeChat #Censorship
WeChat Becomes a Powerful Surveillance Tool Everywhere in China
WeChat has become one of the most powerful tools in Beijing’s arsenal for monitoring the public, censoring speech and punishing people who voice discontent with the government. Its dominance in Chinese society has become more entrenched in 2020 due to remote working and learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tencent and Alibaba developed health-rating systems for government as one of the main contact-tracing tools to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The health codes embedded within WeChat and Alipay have become essential passes in China for entering residences, office buildings and accessing public transportation.
WeChat uses client-to-server encryption, which grants Tencent full access to data between senders and recipients, as opposed to end-to-end encryption, said Fergus Ryan, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank created by the Australian government.
China’s internet firewall has long blocked foreign sites and messaging apps, including Google, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook, but these can be accessed via virtual private networks (VPN).
“Some of my friends and clients switch to Signal or FaceTime for sensitive conversations. Still, for the majority of people, they don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to get over the firewall for daily communications,” said Zhang Qingfang, a Beijing-based human-rights lawyer.
Source: WSJ #Dec22
https://www.wsj.com/articles/wechat-becomes-a-powerful-surveillance-tool-everywhere-in-china-11608633003
#HealthCode #WeChat #Tencent #Alibaba #Censorship
WeChat has become one of the most powerful tools in Beijing’s arsenal for monitoring the public, censoring speech and punishing people who voice discontent with the government. Its dominance in Chinese society has become more entrenched in 2020 due to remote working and learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tencent and Alibaba developed health-rating systems for government as one of the main contact-tracing tools to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The health codes embedded within WeChat and Alipay have become essential passes in China for entering residences, office buildings and accessing public transportation.
WeChat uses client-to-server encryption, which grants Tencent full access to data between senders and recipients, as opposed to end-to-end encryption, said Fergus Ryan, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank created by the Australian government.
China’s internet firewall has long blocked foreign sites and messaging apps, including Google, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook, but these can be accessed via virtual private networks (VPN).
“Some of my friends and clients switch to Signal or FaceTime for sensitive conversations. Still, for the majority of people, they don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to get over the firewall for daily communications,” said Zhang Qingfang, a Beijing-based human-rights lawyer.
Source: WSJ #Dec22
https://www.wsj.com/articles/wechat-becomes-a-powerful-surveillance-tool-everywhere-in-china-11608633003
#HealthCode #WeChat #Tencent #Alibaba #Censorship
WSJ
WeChat Becomes a Powerful Surveillance Tool Everywhere in China
China’s do-everything app, WeChat, has become one of the most powerful tools in Beijing’s arsenal for monitoring the public, censoring speech and punishing people who voice discontent with the government.
Chinese Political Censorship Reaches the U.S., North America WeChat users could be blocked at any time.
The U.S. government originally planned to block WeChat overseas version last September, but the court suspended the ban and the appeal will be heard next Thursday (January 14). President-elect Joe Biden's transition team did not comment on the ban. Some WeChat users in North America said their content was subject to political censorship. Some comments and news reposts that would cause discontent in China were blocked. Some Chinese dissidents in exile in the U.S. said they support Trump's blocking order, despite the inconvenience the WeChat ban has caused Chinese immigrants.
The Chinese messaging app WeChat has a strict censorship system. A large number of posts in support of Hong Kong's anti-extradition law have been deleted from its platform over the past two years. The Washington Post reported that WeChat's censorship of user postings has reached into the United States. Some accounts registered in the U.S. have had their posts on the platform blocked by WeChat, preventing their friends from viewing the content.
Source: Apple Daily #Jan09
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20210109/PHUV2W4CVJH3XMAQPO2QMGTEBY/
#China #US #WeChat #censorship #PoliticalCensorship #CensorshipinUS #WashingtonPost
The U.S. government originally planned to block WeChat overseas version last September, but the court suspended the ban and the appeal will be heard next Thursday (January 14). President-elect Joe Biden's transition team did not comment on the ban. Some WeChat users in North America said their content was subject to political censorship. Some comments and news reposts that would cause discontent in China were blocked. Some Chinese dissidents in exile in the U.S. said they support Trump's blocking order, despite the inconvenience the WeChat ban has caused Chinese immigrants.
The Chinese messaging app WeChat has a strict censorship system. A large number of posts in support of Hong Kong's anti-extradition law have been deleted from its platform over the past two years. The Washington Post reported that WeChat's censorship of user postings has reached into the United States. Some accounts registered in the U.S. have had their posts on the platform blocked by WeChat, preventing their friends from viewing the content.
Source: Apple Daily #Jan09
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20210109/PHUV2W4CVJH3XMAQPO2QMGTEBY/
#China #US #WeChat #censorship #PoliticalCensorship #CensorshipinUS #WashingtonPost
WeChat deletes Chinese university LGBT accounts in fresh crackdown
Chinese tech giant Tencent's WeChat social media platform has deleted dozens of LGBT accounts run by university students, saying some had broken rules on information on the internet, sparking fear of a crackdown on gay content online.
Members of several LGBT groups told Reuters that access to their accounts was blocked late on Tuesday and they later discovered that all of their content had been deleted.
"Many of us suffered at the same time," said the account manager of one group who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Source: Reuters #Jul07
http://reut.rs/3yrGOQr
#WeChat #LGBT #Crackdown
Chinese tech giant Tencent's WeChat social media platform has deleted dozens of LGBT accounts run by university students, saying some had broken rules on information on the internet, sparking fear of a crackdown on gay content online.
Members of several LGBT groups told Reuters that access to their accounts was blocked late on Tuesday and they later discovered that all of their content had been deleted.
"Many of us suffered at the same time," said the account manager of one group who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Source: Reuters #Jul07
http://reut.rs/3yrGOQr
#WeChat #LGBT #Crackdown
#Harrassement
China-funded Media Caught Photographing #InMedia Journalist's Computer in Court: "Not Aware It's Prohibited"
The ruling of the first case under Hong Kong's #NationalSecurityLaw was handed down on the 27th of July, 2021 at the High Court. Over 80 journalists were in attendance to hear the verdict.
Afterwards, an In-Media HK reporter was told by another attendee that a woman in a blue shirt sitting in the row behind them was photographing their computer screen during the hearing. The woman also opened her #WeChat application at one point, and it was unclear whether she had sent out the photo.
The In-Media reporter immediately confronted the woman and informed the security guard about her actions. The woman was asked to show her cell phone photos, and it appeared that she had taken two photos in court, one of which had captured the In-Media reporter’s conversation with a colleague.
The woman claimed that it was her first time in court, and was not aware that photography was prohibited. She insisted that she had not sent out the photos through WeChat, and had deleted the photos on the spot.
Security later told the In-Media reporter that the woman in question is a "reporter" from Dot Dot News, and she claimed that she took the photo to confirm whether the In-Media reporter was her colleague from #WenWeiPo, a China-funded media, who was also in attendance.
According to available information, Dot Dot News is a subsidiary of China-funded Wen Wei Po, and was granted interviewing privileges by the government in July 2019 as an online news media. However, there had been allegations that they had spread false rumors and fake news; Facebook had shut down Dot Dot News' page after investigations.
As for photography in court, the judiciary stated in a media response that photography by anyone, journalists included, is prohibited by law inside the court and attached facilities. There are also multiple signs in the court building stating so.
Source: In-Media HK #Jul27
https://bit.ly/3l2V9PM
#Doxxing #Court #CCP
China-funded Media Caught Photographing #InMedia Journalist's Computer in Court: "Not Aware It's Prohibited"
The ruling of the first case under Hong Kong's #NationalSecurityLaw was handed down on the 27th of July, 2021 at the High Court. Over 80 journalists were in attendance to hear the verdict.
Afterwards, an In-Media HK reporter was told by another attendee that a woman in a blue shirt sitting in the row behind them was photographing their computer screen during the hearing. The woman also opened her #WeChat application at one point, and it was unclear whether she had sent out the photo.
The In-Media reporter immediately confronted the woman and informed the security guard about her actions. The woman was asked to show her cell phone photos, and it appeared that she had taken two photos in court, one of which had captured the In-Media reporter’s conversation with a colleague.
The woman claimed that it was her first time in court, and was not aware that photography was prohibited. She insisted that she had not sent out the photos through WeChat, and had deleted the photos on the spot.
Security later told the In-Media reporter that the woman in question is a "reporter" from Dot Dot News, and she claimed that she took the photo to confirm whether the In-Media reporter was her colleague from #WenWeiPo, a China-funded media, who was also in attendance.
According to available information, Dot Dot News is a subsidiary of China-funded Wen Wei Po, and was granted interviewing privileges by the government in July 2019 as an online news media. However, there had been allegations that they had spread false rumors and fake news; Facebook had shut down Dot Dot News' page after investigations.
As for photography in court, the judiciary stated in a media response that photography by anyone, journalists included, is prohibited by law inside the court and attached facilities. There are also multiple signs in the court building stating so.
Source: In-Media HK #Jul27
https://bit.ly/3l2V9PM
#Doxxing #Court #CCP
獨立媒體
《點新聞》女記者庭上拍攝《獨媒》記者電腦 稱首次到法庭不知不准攝影 | 獨媒報導 | 獨立媒體
（獨媒報導）首宗《國安法》案件今日（27日）裁決，逾80名記者於高等法院報道裁決結果。惟散庭以後，《獨媒》記者獲一名旁聽市民告知，一名坐在記者後一排、身穿藍衫的女士於聆訊期間拍攝記者的電腦，其後一度打開微信軟件，不肯定有否發出。《獨媒》記者隨即上前交涉，並通知保安，該名女士應要求展示手機相片，可見她於庭上拍攝了兩張相片，其中一張拍到記者與同事通訊的
Shanghai University has claimed the college to report LGBT student list, including their political perspectives and psychological condition
Recently the sex niche in mainland universities and colleges has been repeatedly suppressed. After the LGBT student WeChat groups in multiple universities have been deactivated, the Shanghai University has announced to claim all colleges report LGBT student list with their information like political perspectives for “school investigation”. Some LGBT groups concerned, sex niche students will be continually supressed, the law scholars questioned the relevant investigation may illegal.
In the recent days there was an online internal document from Shanghai University, which showed the school is using reason of “school investigation” to claim, “colleges have to reflect all information of LGBT student”.
That form claims to report the gender and education background of LGBT student, but also claim to report their state of mind and psychological condition, including political position, study and research, daily life, interpersonal relationship, life plan, health condition, bad condition, mental disorder, and illnesses.
Source: Stand News #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3jSHgTf
#Shanghai #University #LGBT #Politics #Psychology #Suppression #WeChat #Investigation #HumanRights #Liberty
Recently the sex niche in mainland universities and colleges has been repeatedly suppressed. After the LGBT student WeChat groups in multiple universities have been deactivated, the Shanghai University has announced to claim all colleges report LGBT student list with their information like political perspectives for “school investigation”. Some LGBT groups concerned, sex niche students will be continually supressed, the law scholars questioned the relevant investigation may illegal.
In the recent days there was an online internal document from Shanghai University, which showed the school is using reason of “school investigation” to claim, “colleges have to reflect all information of LGBT student”.
That form claims to report the gender and education background of LGBT student, but also claim to report their state of mind and psychological condition, including political position, study and research, daily life, interpersonal relationship, life plan, health condition, bad condition, mental disorder, and illnesses.
Source: Stand News #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3jSHgTf
#Shanghai #University #LGBT #Politics #Psychology #Suppression #WeChat #Investigation #HumanRights #Liberty
#CCPRules #Infiltration
Concern over ‘#censorship’ rules of New Zealand-Chinese news site Skykiwi.com
//An influential Chinese-language media outlet in #NewZealand warned its users their information could be shared with 'relevant state agencies' if they violated #ChineseLaws.
Skykiwi.com promotes itself as New Zealand’s “most influential” Chinese-language media outlet, with half a million ‘daily average user visits’ to its multi-platform website. Besides providing news coverage, the site also runs message boards where a variety of topics, including current affairs, are discussed. It claims to have 81,000 daily forum users.
...Until July, the terms of service for these forums contained clauses forbidding speech on a range of topics and said that users who violate Chinese laws in their postings could have their information shared with “relevant state agencies,” indicating China’s intelligence apparatus would be able to potentially identify them. It also meant criticism of China’s ruling Communist Party was all but banned.
...A list of forbidden conduct on the forum, as seen last month, includes “leaking state secrets”, “damaging national honour and interests”, “undermining national unity”, inciting “subversion of state power”, "undermining national policies" and promoting “cults”. Virtually identical wording was discovered on the terms of service for China’s state-backed social media platform #WeChat and a list of “prohibited content” outlined by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.//
Source: Newsroom #Sep20
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/concern-over-censorship-rules-of-nz-chinese-news-site
#CCP #PRC #UnitedFront
Concern over ‘#censorship’ rules of New Zealand-Chinese news site Skykiwi.com
//An influential Chinese-language media outlet in #NewZealand warned its users their information could be shared with 'relevant state agencies' if they violated #ChineseLaws.
Skykiwi.com promotes itself as New Zealand’s “most influential” Chinese-language media outlet, with half a million ‘daily average user visits’ to its multi-platform website. Besides providing news coverage, the site also runs message boards where a variety of topics, including current affairs, are discussed. It claims to have 81,000 daily forum users.
...Until July, the terms of service for these forums contained clauses forbidding speech on a range of topics and said that users who violate Chinese laws in their postings could have their information shared with “relevant state agencies,” indicating China’s intelligence apparatus would be able to potentially identify them. It also meant criticism of China’s ruling Communist Party was all but banned.
...A list of forbidden conduct on the forum, as seen last month, includes “leaking state secrets”, “damaging national honour and interests”, “undermining national unity”, inciting “subversion of state power”, "undermining national policies" and promoting “cults”. Virtually identical wording was discovered on the terms of service for China’s state-backed social media platform #WeChat and a list of “prohibited content” outlined by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.//
Source: Newsroom #Sep20
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/concern-over-censorship-rules-of-nz-chinese-news-site
#CCP #PRC #UnitedFront
Newsroom
Concern over ‘censorship’ rules of NZ-Chinese news site
An influential Chinese-language media outlet in New Zealand warned its users their information could be shared with 'relevant state agencies' if they violated Chinese laws A popular news site could be exposing New Zealanders to Chinese state surveillance…
#CallForSupport #Solidarity
Civil Society Groups Issue Joint Statement, Concerns over Attacks on Hongkongers in UK
A statement was issued by Hong Kong-led civil society groups and its allies, following a violent attack on Hongkongers during a rally that took place in London on 27 November, 2021.
In the UK, Hongkongers and other members of East and South East Asian communities have been exposed to threats and intimidation.
There were messages circulating on #WeChat,a texting app from China, about putting a 'bounty' on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists #SimonCheng and #NathanLaw, offering £10,000 to anyone who could offer their UK addresses.
Besides, there were also messages seeking to create "vigilante groups" to attack any HongKongers' groups in support of Hong Kong independence.
The statemdnt expressed grave concern over the tactics of intimidation which not only threatens the safety and security of Hongkongers and supporters of Hongkongers’ struggles; but also infringe Hongkongers’ fundamental right to freedom of expression.
Read full statement : https://t.co/xRQlzlitpF
Source: Stand With Hong Kong; RFA #Dec3
#CCP #Infiltration #Intimidation #Bounty #PoliticalOppression
Civil Society Groups Issue Joint Statement, Concerns over Attacks on Hongkongers in UK
A statement was issued by Hong Kong-led civil society groups and its allies, following a violent attack on Hongkongers during a rally that took place in London on 27 November, 2021.
In the UK, Hongkongers and other members of East and South East Asian communities have been exposed to threats and intimidation.
There were messages circulating on #WeChat,a texting app from China, about putting a 'bounty' on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists #SimonCheng and #NathanLaw, offering £10,000 to anyone who could offer their UK addresses.
Besides, there were also messages seeking to create "vigilante groups" to attack any HongKongers' groups in support of Hong Kong independence.
The statemdnt expressed grave concern over the tactics of intimidation which not only threatens the safety and security of Hongkongers and supporters of Hongkongers’ struggles; but also infringe Hongkongers’ fundamental right to freedom of expression.
Read full statement : https://t.co/xRQlzlitpF
Source: Stand With Hong Kong; RFA #Dec3
#CCP #Infiltration #Intimidation #Bounty #PoliticalOppression
Google Docs
A joint statement to address the safety and security concerns of Hongkongers and other minoritised groups by Hong Kong-led civil…
Date: 03 December 2021
As organisations representing and/or serving and supporting Hongkongers and broader East and Southeast Asia (ESEA) communities in the UK - including groups comprising asylum seekers, refugees and migrants - and allies, we are writing…
As organisations representing and/or serving and supporting Hongkongers and broader East and Southeast Asia (ESEA) communities in the UK - including groups comprising asylum seekers, refugees and migrants - and allies, we are writing…
Scott Morrison's WeChat account suspected of being hacked, MPs call for boycott over election interference
Australian media reported on Monday (24th January) that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's WeChat official account was suspected of being hacked and turned into a pro-Beijing account “Aohua Xinshenghuo (Australian Chinese New Life)”. His WeChat team has been unable to log in since the beginning of the year. Its 76,000 followers were notified to quit following old accounts. Some parliamentarians believe this is China's interference in Australia's internal affairs in an election year, and call on Australian politicians to boycott WeChat.
The abnormality of Morrison's WeChat public account was first reported by The Daily Telegraph. It was pointed out that earlier this month, Morrison's official WeChat account had been renamed “Aohua Xinshenghuo” and his profile picture had been changed. The account description was now "providing life information for overseas Chinese in Australia".
Source: RFA #Jan24
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/au-wechat-01242022053954.html
#Australia #AustralianPM #ScottMorrison #WeChat #hacking #ChinaInterference #boycott #AustralianElection #OverseasChinese
Australian media reported on Monday (24th January) that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's WeChat official account was suspected of being hacked and turned into a pro-Beijing account “Aohua Xinshenghuo (Australian Chinese New Life)”. His WeChat team has been unable to log in since the beginning of the year. Its 76,000 followers were notified to quit following old accounts. Some parliamentarians believe this is China's interference in Australia's internal affairs in an election year, and call on Australian politicians to boycott WeChat.
The abnormality of Morrison's WeChat public account was first reported by The Daily Telegraph. It was pointed out that earlier this month, Morrison's official WeChat account had been renamed “Aohua Xinshenghuo” and his profile picture had been changed. The account description was now "providing life information for overseas Chinese in Australia".
Source: RFA #Jan24
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/au-wechat-01242022053954.html
#Australia #AustralianPM #ScottMorrison #WeChat #hacking #ChinaInterference #boycott #AustralianElection #OverseasChinese
Radio Free Asia
【澳中關係】莫里森微信帳號疑遭入侵 議員指涉干預選舉籲杯葛
澳大利亞傳媒周一報道，總理莫里森的微信公眾號疑遭入侵，莫里森微信團隊自年初一直無法登入，其7.6萬名追隨者收到通知，要退出追蹤舊帳號。有國會議員認為是中國在選舉年干涉澳大利亞內政，籲政界杯葛微信。