The Nation is Full of Cameras
[People News] Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacted the National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020, it has driven away international investors, transforming Hong Kong from a prosperous international financial centre into a desolate port. In 2023, amid a downturn in the Chinese economy, the CCP suddenly escalated its focus on national security, causing foreign businesses to quickly relocate from China to Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Malaysia. This has further exacerbated China's economic situation, leading to a wave of bankruptcies across various industries and a worsening unemployment crisis, resulting in widespread hardship for the population. Despite this, the CCP has not learned from its past mistakes and has recently taken new measures, instructing major internet platforms to enhance monitoring of chat software content. They are now required to fully integrate keyword search and secondary data analysis systems. This tightening of speech on Chinese internet platforms is likely to further deteriorate the overall economic environment in China.
According to reports from The Epoch Times, several interviewed netizens and industry insiders have disclosed that the CCP is extensively deploying artificial intelligence technology in the backend servers of mainstream social platforms such as WeChat, QQ, and Douyin. This technology continuously scans and deeply analyses users' chat records, voice messages, images, and other information. Some netizens have been summoned by the police for several hours simply for using the phrase 'one Zun '.
On July 23, Mr. Chen (Chen Xiansheng), a netizen from Beijing, informed Epoch Times reporters that he was summoned twice by the Haidian Public Security Bureau after sending the phrase 'a statue' in a WeChat group. He recounted, 'The internet police at the station directly asked me, Who are you referring to? Why mention him (Xi)? I didn't even mention old Xi, yet I was still questioned for five hours. They also said, 'As soon as you mention him, we have to take action.' I feel they are quite helpless as well.'
Mr. Chen further disclosed that during the questioning, the police inadvertently mentioned that there are already tens of thousands of internet police in Beijing who are dedicated to online censorship and data analysis, with workloads even exceeding those of criminal and neighbourhood police.' 'These individuals monitor screens from morning to night, analysing thousands of chat records and account activities. If Beijing operates this way, other cities are likely similar.'
Zhou Fei (Zhou Fei, pseudonym), a professional in the cybersecurity field, indicated that platforms like WeChat have connected to the 'intelligent public opinion monitoring system' that has been uniformly deployed by the Cyberspace Administration. This system not only conducts real-time monitoring of public dynamics but also rescans stored content such as voice, text, and images. He explained, 'Previously, chat records were merely backups; now they are subject to repeated analysis. Even records from several years ago will be flagged if they contain sensitive words.'
Zhou Fei, currently overseas, elaborated that the Cyberspace Administration of China has started to promote several new AI review systems this year. These systems can identify homophones, pinyin, emojis, and text within images, with the backend operating continuously. Each piece of suspicious information generates a report that is reviewed by specialised personnel. He stated, 'Now, even actions like liking, reposting, and browsing frequency are recorded and quantified. The backend tracks what you say in group chats, who likes your posts, and what content you share, all of which is stored in a database.'
Mr. Lü, a netizen from Henan, mentioned that he has had his account banned over ten times across various platforms: 'Sometimes my account gets banned even before I have a chance to speak. A friend leaves a comment that I can see, but others cannot. This indicates that the platform has implemented an 'invisible block,' meaning your comments are not transmitted at all.'
This phenomenon of 'seeing your own comments while others cannot' has become widespread on social media platforms like Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. While the account may appear normal at first glance, it is actually 'restricted' or 'sunk,' making it nearly impossible to share information.
Gao Qiang (a pseudonym), an insider in the IT industry, pointed out that the current level of scrutiny is significantly more intense than before, affecting major platforms such as Tencent, ByteDance, Kuaishou, and Alibaba. He remarked, 'Whenever there is any disturbance, the Cyberspace Administration will promptly issue a letter demanding the deletion of posts, account bans, and the submission of user information. Some platforms even establish dedicated teams to work with the government around the clock.'
Gao Qiang cautioned, 'It is no longer just what you say that will be investigated; platforms will also actively review what you have said in the past. Even simple actions like reposting or liking can be flagged by algorithms, creating a behavioural profile.'
The Epoch Times reports that political discourse on Chinese social media platforms has seen a significant decline over the past three months. Methods that were once popular for 'avoiding censorship,' such as using homophones, pinyin initials, and emoji substitutions, have also been identified and banned. Nowadays, users are increasingly opting to evade risks by sharing overseas screenshots, self-media pages, or simply choosing to remain silent.
A former employee of a social media platform, who requested anonymity, remarked: 'We receive a daily blacklist from the Cyberspace Administration, detailing which keywords and topics need to be managed. The platform does not assess whether your statements are reasonable; if they involve sensitive terms, your account will be automatically banned or restricted.'
According to the 55th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China published by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), as of December 2024, the total number of internet users in China has reached 1.108 billion, with an internet penetration rate of 78.6%, and mobile internet users making up 98.6%. This indicates that nearly every internet user's social activities are subject to continuous technical oversight.
Gao Qiang concluded by warning the public: 'It is no longer as simple as just banning one account. If speech is categorised as 'organised' or 'widely disseminated,' not only will the account be banned, but the individual may also face summons, administrative detention, or even criminal prosecution.'
In this context, readers of The Epoch Times have commented that the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are "becoming increasingly similar to those of North Korea." One reader noted, "After years of avoiding mainland China's subpar social media, the internet police have started to crack down on you. Are you really still generating traffic for these inferior platforms and making money for them? That's just plain foolish." Another reader stated, "I have never used spy apps like WeChat or Douyin. Over a decade ago, when I was still in China, I once commented in a news thread that foreign healthcare is better than China's, and immediately a so-called internet police officer wearing a red star hat responded with a warning: 'I know where you are; if you say more, I will cause you trouble.'" Lastly, one reader remarked, "It's truly a madness of the apocalypse. Therefore, everyone should remain cautious and rational; if we endure through the darkest times, dawn will eventually arrive." △
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