HRIC Weekly Brief
October 22, 2024
Top News 头条
In recent weeks, the Cyberspace Administration of China and Ministry of Education announced that they would be standardizing online speech by cracking down on the use of so-called “irregular and uncivilized language and text,” or internet slang, on the homepages, trending search lists, and suggested content sections of major online platforms. In response, Chinese netizens complained that it was only because government censors and platforms have censored so many words and phrases that internet users had no choice but to turn to abbreviations, obscure language, variant characters, and homophones to express themselves online. Relatedly, an in-depth interview by independent magazine Mang Mang with a Gen Z censor working for a major Chinese online platform revealed that companies regard political content as highest priority for content review. The interviewee also shared their perspective on the morality of their censorship work.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
Surviving My Father: A Sexual Abuse Survivor in China Seeks Justice: In China, sexual abuse survivors have to overcome many obstacles to collect evidence and initiate legal proceedings against their perpetrators, including facing shame and resistance from relatives and society.
Hong Kong’s courts are independent, gov’t says after ex-top court judge says judiciary ‘too partial’ to authorities: Lord Jonathan Sumption, former non-permanent Court of Final Appeal judge, had said during a podcast that the judiciary had been too partial to the government in recent criminal cases.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
In rare appeal, Tibetan calls for company to stop digging up river: Soon after Tsongon Tsering posted a five-minute video on WeChat showing the erosion caused by a company illegally extracting sand and gravel from a local riverbed, his account was deleted and related search terms were blocked. Such public appeals are rare because of fear of reprisals from the government for speaking out against authorities or state-approved projects.
Making Deepfakes With Chinese AI: As Chinese AI tools become more sophisticated, there are concerns that Chinese AI could be used to manipulate the outcomes of consequential elections this year. China Media Project’s investigation found that “[i]f Chinese AI software is nearing standards for national broadcast, this suggests it is approaching a level of believability suitable for deepfakes.”
LinkedIn suspends AI training using Hong Kong users’ personal data, privacy watchdog says: LinkedIn had started using user data to train generative AI models responsible for the website’s writing suggestions since last month, and Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, had warned users and urged them to revoke permissions.
Hong Kong restricts civil servants from using WhatsApp, Google Drive on work computers: The restrictions are said to be on the basis of “severe internet safety risks,” according to Hong Kong authorities, who expect the ban to be fully introduced by this month.
Cyber criminals are increasingly helping Russia and China target the US and allies, Microsoft says: According to a report on digital threats by Microsoft, the collaboration between authoritarian governments and criminal hackers directed by Beijing or Kremlin are aimed at undermining rivals.
Tim Cook Returns to China as Apple Intelligence Roll-out Remains Uncertain: The latest iPhone 16 released in China lacked AI features, with tentative plans to roll out Chinese language AI in 2025. Now, the Apple CEO is in China, with no official explanation for the visit.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Zhou Fengsuo Speaks on Technology, Democracy, and Digital Rights at Stanford: Reflecting on his journey from a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen student protests to his current role, Zhou emphasized the transformative role of technology in shaping advocacy for fundamental human rights and the trajectory of China’s democracy movement.
Exiled Chinese in Japan encounter the long arm of Beijing: According to the Chinese who have settled in Japan, they are the target of threatening phone calls and messages, while families they left behind are frequently visited by police making thinly veiled threats.
From China with love: coastguard’s ‘creepy’ message to Taiwan during military drills: The Chinese propaganda image had depicted a satellite image of Taiwan’s main island, and a line of arrows tracking around it in the shape of a heart, together with text that read “hi my sweetheart” and “the patrol is in the shape of loving you.”
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
Human Rights in China on Twitter/X: Lu Siwei, who was recently re-detained, told his lawyer that in addition to the very poor living conditions in the detention center, political dissidents are forced to wear special prison uniforms and are under 24-hour surveillance by cameras.
Related: Overcrowding reported at China detention centers amid economic downturn. China’s increasing economic challenges, such as unemployment and a massive property crisis, are contributing to higher crime rates and in turn an increase in detainees at detention centers.
Shanghai police plan crackdown on Halloween cosplayers this year: In 2023, young people had taken to the streets in scary costumes with underlying political messages, with some wearing Winnie the Pooh and COVID-19 enforcer costumes in a satirical swipe at their government, and in defiance of official dislike of imported Western festivals.
Human Rights in China on Twitter/X: China’s longstanding crackdown on religious freedom has been evidenced through administrative measures, police raids, and suppression of house churches. On October 20, several gatherings of the Beijing Zion Church were raided by police.
For State Media, Copycats Are No Joke: Earlier this month, a counterfeit People’s Daily article astonished readers by weighing in on a dispute between celebrities. Mimicking official media likely appeals to some in an atmosphere where official state mouthpieces have a “monopoly on the truth.”
World Uyghur Congress faces harassment ahead of general assembly: Ahead of the group’s eighth general assembly, the Uyghur organization has endured numerous efforts to derail or even cancel the event. The harassment they faced even included threats of physical harm, arrest and sabotage.
HK Policy Address 2024: Activists urge democracy, free press and enhanced worker rights outside legislature: On the day of Chief Executive John Lee’s third Policy Address, the League of Social Democrats, one of Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy groups, rallied outside government headquarters, campaigning for the right to vote, freedom of the press, and free speech.
Hong Kong inmate denied early release under security law ‘treated unfairly’, court told: Adam Ma Chun-man, who was convicted of inciting secession has complained of procedural unfairness over the prison service’s refusal to grant him early release under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Human Rights in China on Twitter/X: An official post from China News Publishing Group described local Party efforts to expand their international media influence, including by hiring overseas Chinese and other foreign influencers.
China hosts World Media Summit in Xinjiang amid human rights concerns: Drawing criticism for holding the global AI collaboration event in Urumqi, critics highlight that the event appeared to be designed to normalize the situation in Xinjiang.
Hong Kong plans patriotic events to boost nationalism: At the 2024 Policy Address at the Legislative Council, Chief Executive John Lee said that the government will hold commemorative activities to enhance patriotism, and launch a new program of “patriotic education” in primary and secondary schools.
International Responses 国际反应
Rep. Adam Schiff on Twitter/X: A US Congressman, Adam Schiff, has publicly written to Dr. Wang Bingzhang to express his support and advocate for his immediate release. Dr. Wang has been imprisoned for 22 years for his pro-democracy activism.
Labour backtracks on push for genocide ruling on China’s treatment of Uyghurs: There had been plans to push for formal recognition of China’s treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide, in the run-up to UK foreign secretary David Lammy’s upcoming trip to China.
UK’s Keir Starmer urges Hong Kong to release Jimmy Lai ahead of foreign sec. Beijing trip: Starmer had emphasized that Lai’s case was “a priority” for his Labour government and Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart, on the basis that the case against Lai was politically motivated.
Congressman rails at Hong Kong efforts to block US-based content: Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has called on an American web hosting company, Automattic, not to comply with requests from Hong Kong authorities to suspend the website of Flow HK, an online media outlet founded by Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who are in exile.