HRIC Digital Rights Report: April 2026
Welcome to the Digital Rights Report, HRIC’s new monthly roundup of what you may have missed in the China digital rights space. We will be covering cybersecurity, AI, digital transnational repression, the Great Firewall, and much more. We welcome reader questions and comments–please feel free to reach out directly at communications@hrichina.org with your thoughts. Thank you for reading!
This Month: Communication Control
In April, one method of evading intense censorship within China fell, while new instances of transnational digital repression arose via spam bots and a public-private scheme to enhance overseas self-censorship. Whether by targeting specific activists, journalists, and diaspora communities or via large-scale suppression of content, the CCP strives to block unfavorable online communication in any form.
A Major Circumvention Tool Leaves Mainland China
“LetsVPN,” a well-known security tool used to get past the Great Firewall, officially announced it would cease all operations in mainland China at the end of April. In recent years, China has framed VPN usage as dangerous in order to justify its increasingly harsh crackdowns on VPN use while positioning the Great Firewall as a protective measure. As a result, it has become more difficult for people in China to “circumvent the wall,” and the closure of another circumvention channel marks a significant setback for those who rely on such tools to reach uncensored information, communicate securely, or maintain cross-border professional and personal connections. In its public statement, LetsVPN pointed to the “ongoing impact of internet blockages,” and described its constant efforts to to break past network blockages, “working almost hourly to test and adjust our systems for the past 20 days.” After confirming that “connectivity issues cannot be effectively resolved,” LetsVPN concluded that they will no longer be providing services because they are “truly unable to do so.”
Notably, the statement also offers regrets for not being able to assist Chinese customers with their “cross-border e-commerce.” The Great Firewall not only suppresses the free flow of information, but also substantively severs essential connections between ordinary Chinese people, tech practitioners, and the global digital economy.
However, while the CCP is adamant about maintaining separation from the rest of the world for inhabitants of mainland China, it continues to manipulate digital technology in order to advance transnational repression against overseas dissidents.
Fake Accounts Used to Drown Out Online Political Speech
Taiwanese netizens discovered a large number of AI bot accounts making spam posts on social media during Kuomintang opposition leader Cheng Li-wun’s controversial visit to China in the second week of April. The bots flooded posts related to the visit with hundreds of spam comments. Users were able to identify these fake accounts through several common characteristics. First, they all had profile pictures that closely resembled real women. Second, the names of these accounts resembled each other, with most starting with the letter “M” and ending with a string of numbers. Third, bot comments had obvious traces of AI-generated text, including stiff and unnatural wording that lacked context and human emotion. Fourth, there was no prior history of life events on any profile. And finally, most accounts could be traced back to China and Pakistan despite pretending to be from around the world.
By flooding posts where controversial discourse was taking place, the bots’ goal was to hide real users’ voices through numbers alone, making it near-impossible to find human commentary among so many faux contributions, as well as manufacture a false “mainstream public opinion.” The CCP spamming online spaces during large political moments is nothing new, and the international community is fighting to keep up with this rapidly expanding technology. Nevertheless, China continues to infiltrate public platforms, often successfully silencing and intimidating opposing voices.
Citizen Lab Report Exposes Digital Transnational Repression
Beyond social media, the Chinese government utilizes its close relationships with tech companies and hacker groups to target dissenting voices through aggressive cyber attacks. A new report by Citizen Lab, “Tall Tales: How Chinese Actors Use Impersonation and Stolen Narratives to Perpetuate Digital Transnational Repression,” exposes how two private contractors acting on behalf of the Chinese government have been perpetuating covert digital transnational repression. Operation groups “GLITTER CARP” and “SEQUIN CARP” targeted Uyghur and Tibetan activists, Taiwan media organizations, Hong Kong activists, and members of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), sending dangerous phishing emails in order to infiltrate operations and gain access to sensitive data.
These actions are not mere simple cyberattacks, but highly customized psychological warfare and technical breaches. On the technical front, the actors demonstrated extreme stealth and deception. They built an eerily realistic backdrop for phishing emails, exploiting victims’ psychological defenses for breakthroughs.
One example is “Bin Bai,” who allegedly fled China to escape false charges brought against him, according to his Twitter/X post. Yet, this “person” was in fact an elaborate scam by SEQUIN CARP. The group sent a link to an ICIJ journalist which claimed to be files proving “Bin Bai’s” case, but in actuality was meant to lure recipients into accidentally granting full email access. If opened, it would lead users to a Google login page with an Open Authorization “OAuth” token. From there, hackers would be able to bypass multi-factor authentication and password changes, achieving long-term silent monitoring and data exfiltration from the target’s inbox.
These actors are also able to embed tracking beacons through the use of hidden images in phishing emails. By simply opening the email—not even clicking on any links—these methods can be used to collect a targets’ real-time geolocation, IP address, and other personal information. These emails appear innocuous, such as an ad for a Spanish cocktail recipe. Yet, they contain software that is specifically designed to evade detection by security researchers.
In addition to these tactics, hackers also impersonated activists, politicians, journalists, and even Google itself. This strategy heightens distrust amongst those fighting against the CCP’s authoritarian regime, causing individuals to doubt their own contacts from seemingly legitimate sources and hinder future connections between civil society.
The report states that these attacks align closely with the intelligence priorities of the Chinese government, specifically outsourcing malicious activities to domestic private cybersecurity contractors. A “public-private partnership” model not only gives the authorities plausible deniability for any bad acts committed, but it also vastly expands the global reach of China’s digital repression.
The profound harm of this digital repression lies in its theft of sensitive information and, more fundamentally, in eroding the trust foundations within civil society, forcing investigative journalists and activists into a fear-driven spiral of self-censorship. When combined with efforts to stifle communication beyond mainland China and in global online spaces, the CCP has made it clear that it will go to any lengths to control the narrative. It is critical, therefore, to stay vigilant against suppression and continue searching for methods to resist and defy these efforts.
In Case You Missed It: Other Digital Rights and Cybersecurity News
Great Firewall, Censorship, and Information Control
HRIC on Twitter/X: “Reports indicate that Wu Huaiyun was arrested again before the 2026 Spring Festival, due to her continued online outreach and interviews with overseas media. She is currently still detained by the local public security authorities in Huoshan.”
HRIC on Twitter/X: Leaked documents indicate that starting from April 2026, Chinese authorities will coordinate an unprecedented crackdown on cross-border internet access aimed at completely severing unauthorized foreign connections at the physical and protocol levels.
Documents Raise Fear of Further Crackdown on Great Firewall Circumvention Tools: A group of documents recently circulating online has stoked apprehension about a new wave of pressure on tools used to circumvent China’s Great Firewall, reflecting a climate of steadily tightening control.
Translation: “Letting You Think You Haven’t Been Silenced is Crueler Than Deletion”: A recent article discussed “shadow-banning” by the Chinese authorities, in which posts or comments appear to be posted normally, but in fact have reduced visibility in feeds and search results, and may only be visible to the poster.
CDT’s “404 Deleted Content Archive” Summary for March 2026: In March, the top topics targeted for censorship included the war in Iran; International Women’s Day content related to feminism and women’s rights; “Consumer Day” in China on March 15, and more.
Related: Feminist Blogger Announces WeChat Account Closure. Numerous account suspensions have come in the wake of sustained pressure on online feminist voices.
Translations: As Evergrande’s Xu Jiayin Pleads Guilty, “Behind the Scenes Are Too Many Uncomfortable Truths That Can Never Be Fully Examined”: Online commentators have argued that a swift, low-profile trial and pre-arranged guilty plea suggest that China Evergrande Group founder, Xu Jiayin, struck a deal and took sole responsibility for a host of financial crimes, allowing many officials and insiders to escape accountability. Many of these accusatory posts on WeChat were later censored.
Netizen Voices on New Supply-Chain and Jurisdictional Regulations: “How Is This Not a Shakedown?”: Negative online reactions to Beijing’s new supply chain security regulations and anti-extraterritorial jurisdiction rules—which allow authorities to penalize foreign companies operating in China for mere “routine business decisions”—have been restricted on major platforms.
Translations: Reflections on the Controversial Legacy of Educational Influencer Zhang Xuefeng: Zhang Xuefeng, a popular education content creator whose unexpected death at age 41 sparked widespread mourning, was one of a number of online influencers hit with multiplatform bans last October, amid a Cyberspace Administration of China campaign to clean up internet content that might “maliciously incite” polarization, pessimism, anxiety, and other negative sentiments.
AI Propaganda and Social Media Manipulation
AI for Human Propaganda: The theme of the Cyberspace Administration of China’s yearly Internet Media Forum was the “2026 Digital Intelligence Empowerment: Positive Energy Production and Dissemination Conference.” The discussion emphasized how the Party sees AI as a tool to “revolutionize journalism and media to serve its interests by emphasizing positives and suppressing critical coverage.”
China’s state media turns to social media and AI to tell its story — and often mock the US: The use of AI animation by state media has increased after Xi Jinping pushed to boost China’s abilities to spread its messages globally, gain a greater say on world affairs and counter Western narratives that Beijing often sees as biased or even derogatory about China.
How a Chinese marketing network quietly injects political narratives into Taiwanese lifestyle content: The China-based company Wubianjie controls hundreds of Facebook pages masquerading as Taiwanese “lifestyle hubs.” After sharing innocuous content to gain a wide audience, it will periodically insert pro-Beijing political messaging, such as commentary on the US-Iran conflict aligned with Chinese narratives.
Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
Chinese hackers using everyday devices to target UK firms, warns cybersecurity agency: Agencies from ten countries, including the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Center, warned that Beijing-backed hackers are hijacking everyday devices like wifi routers to build covert “botnets” for cyber espionage, a tactic now used by the majority of China-linked threat actors.
Private health records of half a million Britons offered for sale on Chinese website: Health data from 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers on genetic sequences, blood samples, and lifestyle information was listed for sale across three Alibaba listings connected to Chinese research institutions. While the data was “de-identified,” it can still pose privacy risks. Access was quickly revoked before any confirmed sales went through.
Digital Transnational Repression
Submission from Hong Kong Watch to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ‘Call for Inputs: Protection of human rights defenders in the digital age’ March 2026: This UN submission by Hong Kong Watch states that Hong Kong human rights defenders and pro‑democracy activists face a complex array of technology‑facilitated attacks on social media platforms and digital communication services, and these digital harms often carry offline consequences that extend both inside Hong Kong and into diaspora communities abroad.
Chinese propaganda seeks allies in Slovak media landscape, disinformation outlets already on board: A report by NGO Reporters Without Borders points out that several Slovakian media outlets have published articles by Chinese diplomats and commentaries from the Chinese embassy, highlighting how easily media in countries around the world can be turned into platforms for pro-CCP narratives.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Yu Qian has recently been cut off from the internet for the third time after completing his prison sentence. Yu is an active figure online, especially on X, a democracy advocate, and a renowned human rights defender.
Chinese authorities crack down on Tibetan livestreamers under various pretexts: According to a source, two livestreamers who discussed religious activities, such as making purification offerings, were subsequently detained and interrogated by the Chinese authorities. They were warned that their actions violated “Chinese internet law” and “legislation on religious activities.”
Outrage in China after streaming site iQIYI debuts AI actor ‘database’: A Chinese streaming platform akin to Netflix sparked public backlash after launching a database which enables AI filmmakers to use celebrity likenesses, with some actors publicly refusing to join and fans denouncing the move as a threat to human performers. This was further fuelled by the CEO’s suggestion that “fully human-made work could become intangible cultural heritage.”
Civil Society & Resistance Under Pressure
GFWFrog on Twitter/X: On April 1, a Douyin post featured a photo of a person who closely resembles Xi Jinping. Netizens used the comment section to mock Xi: “So terrifying, I’m about to kneel down through my phone screen,” and “Are you planning to have your child succeed you?”
GFWFrog on Twitter/X: On April 13, well-known Chinese singer Zhang Jie performed “Without the Communist Party There Would Be No New China” at a concert, prompting widespread mockery in the Douyin comments: “We paid to attend a concert and now we have to sit through a political lecture,” and “The wolf warrior of the music industry.”
GFWFrog on Twitter/X: On April 15, a Douyin post about the party composition of China’s National People’s Congress drew top comments alluding to Xi Jinping and the sham nature of China’s democratic system: “No. No. Passed.” This references the show-of-hands moment at the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2017, convened under President Xi Jinping’s leadership. After Xi said, “Those opposed, please raise your hands,” NPC delegates from different seating sections answered “no” one after another.
GFWFrog on Twitter/X: On April 19, a satirical Douyin video showing a netizen holding an iPhone while solemnly saluting Huawei, set to the soundtrack “Go Huawei, go China!” went viral with massive likes and shares. Commenters piled on to mock Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who lives in a Canadian mansion. Years ago, the CCP exploited her return to China to whip up nationalist sentiment—now public opinion has dramatically reversed.
HRIC on Twitter/X: On the morning of April 28 Beijing time, China’s Ministry of State Security published an article and video accusing foreign forces of inciting Chinese youth to “lie flat” (tang ping). The post triggered a fierce backlash, with young Chinese netizens broadly voicing their displeasure with the MSS’s claims through various means—leading Sina Weibo to ban the #tangping hashtag.
Related: GFWFrog on Twitter/X: Among them, prominent Bilibili creator Zhang Beihai Official uploaded a video criticizing and ridiculing the MSS that drew nearly a million views and a flood of likes—before being taken down.
Related: GFWFrog on Twitter/X: On Bilibili, other users uploaded old black-and-white film and TV clips, comparing the CCP to the villainous parents in those dramas who constantly exploit their own children.
Technological Competition & State Power
China blocks $2bn Meta takeover of AI agent developer Manus: Manus, which was founded in Beijing but is now based in Singapore, was blocked from making the deal by the Chinese government, which asserts that “domestic tech companies must seek explicit government approval for accepting US investment.”
China says it supports law-abiding transnational deals after reports of Meta deal review: After barring two co-founders of Manus from leaving the country as regulators review Meta’s $2 billion purchase of the firm, China stated that it supports transnational companies “according to needs and the law.”
Waiting for DeepSeek: New model to test China’s AI ambitions: DeepSeek’s long awaited “V4” model would mark a milestone for China in its bid to beat US restrictions on the export of top-of-the-range AI chips from Californian titan Nvidia. However, the model has yet to emerge.
China stealing US AI technology, White House official says: The White House science and technology chief, Michael Kratsios, accused China of “running industrial-scale distillation campaigns” by using thousands of proxy accounts and jailbreaking tactics to extract capabilities from US AI models, with the Trump administration vowing countermeasures.
China’s DeepSeek rolls out a long-anticipated update of its AI model: Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, released previews of its new model, allowing users to compare it to US competitors. Notably, this version runs on Chinese-made Huawei chips rather than Nvidia hardware, reducing reliance on US technology amid ongoing export controls. Some reviewers have praised its efficiency and viability as a leading open-source AI tool, a field in which China has become increasingly dominant.
HRIC on Twitter/X: A cluster of Chinese AI firms has begun marketing products that claim to track U.S. military movements in real time. Beijing can transform such data into strategic intelligence at scale, repurposing it into a tool to map military activity and vulnerabilities.
HRIC on Twitter/X: According to a new WSJ editorial, when AI systems are trained to deliberately avoid reality and forcibly create blind spots in their logical chains, their overall reasoning ability in non-political domains also declines.