. 24/7 Space News .
CYBER WARS
Chinese censors scrub emoji tributes to Nobel winner
By Allison Jackson, with Becky Davis in Shenyang, China
Beijing (AFP) July 14, 2017


China's censors raced Friday to scrub social media networks of candles, RIP and other tributes to Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo as they seek to silence discussion about the prominent dissident's death.

The 61-year-old democracy activist died Thursday from liver cancer while under heavy police guard at a hospital in the northeastern city of Shenyang -- but most Chinese remain clueless about his death or even who he was.

A search for news of his death on Chinese search engine Baidu turned up no results and China's Twitter-like Weibo blocked the use of his name and initials "LXB".

Even the most obscure homages to Liu on Weibo were removed.

One user who posted "RIP" was advised it had been deleted "because it violated relevant laws and regulations" -- even though the post did not mention the activist by name.

RIP is now among the search terms blocked on Chinese social media networks.

Grieving users who had posted candle emojis on Weibo saw them erased. When accessing Weibo on a personal computer the symbol is no longer among the emoticon options.

On the Weibo mobile app, however, the candle was still available but attempts to post it were blocked and triggered a message saying "content is illegal!".

The Chinese word for "candle" is also barred.

- 'The brave one' -

China tightly controls the internet through a censorship system known as the "Great Firewall" and closely monitors social media networks for sensitive content.

Social media sites have been cleaned of comments praising the dissident.

"He is the brave one for this time. The history will remember him whether alive or dead," one user said in a Weibo post that was later deleted.

Another said: "You, who was just freed, made the world different; we, those who are still in prison, salute you."

Even a Chinese language article about German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, the last Nobel Peace Prize laureate to die in custody, that had been circulating on the mobile messaging app WeChat can no longer be accessed.

A search for the most commonly used Chinese translation of Ossietzky's name also returned no results on Weibo but it was not blocked on Baidu.

The circumstances recalled the situation in 2010 when Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while serving an 11-year sentence for "subversion" -- online searches for his name and references to his award, including the empty chair that represented him at the Oslo ceremony, were blocked.

Not all online posts were sympathetic to Liu, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests whose advocacy for democratic reform infuriated the government.

The state-run Global Times daily posted on its Weibo account: "The deceased has gone and people are playing a magnificent show pretending to be sad. We are a group of onlookers eating watermelon for one night."

The post has been removed but screenshots of it have been widely shared.

- 'Who is he?' -

As international media descended on the hospital that had been treating Liu for more than a month, most locals appeared to be oblivious about the political prisoner, whose name is extremely sensitive in the Communist country.

Only one person among more than 20 questioned by AFP about Liu admitted knowing who he was.

"Who is he, an internet celebrity?" Liu Weiwu, a middle-aged shopkeeper near the hospital, told AFP.

Some state-run media, including the official Xinhua news agency, reported Liu's death but other Chinese outlets ignored it.

The English and Chinese versions of the Global Times carried editorials which accused "forces overseas" of politicising Liu's last days and using his illness as a way to "demonise China".

The Chinese version of the Global Times editorial was not published online.

"The West has bestowed upon Liu a halo, which will not linger," the Global Times said.

bur-amj/lth/amu

Weibo

BAIDU

CYBER WARS
US bans Kaspersky software amid concerns over Russia ties
Washington (AFP) July 12, 2017
The US government has moved to block federal agencies from buying software from Russia-based Kaspersky Labs, amid concerns about the company's links to intelligence services in Moscow. The General Services Administration, which handles federal government purchasing contracts, said in a statement to AFP that Kaspersky Labs, a major global provider of cybersecurity software, has been removed f ... read more

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CYBER WARS
As the world embraces space, the 50 year old Outer Space Treaty needs adaptation

Pence vows 'new era' in US space exploration, but few details

Dutch project tests floating cities to seek more space

Don't look down: glass bottom skywalk thrills in China

CYBER WARS
Aerojet Rocketdyne tests Advanced Electric Propulsion System

Russia to Carry Out Five Launches From Vostochny Space Center in 2018

Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites

After two delays, SpaceX launches broadband satellite for IntelSat

CYBER WARS
Mars surface 'more uninhabitable' than thought: study

Mars Rover Opportunity continuing science campaign at Perseverance Valley

The Niagara Falls of Mars once flowed with lava

Russian Devices for ExoMars Mission to Be Ready in Fall 2017

CYBER WARS
China develops sea launches to boost space commerce

Chinese Rocket Fizzles Out, Puts Other Launches on Hold

Chinese satellite Zhongxing-9A enters preset orbit

Chinese Space Program: From Setback, to Manned Flights, to the Moon

CYBER WARS
100M Pound boost for UK space sector

Iridium Poised to Make Global Maritime Distress and Safety System History

HTS Capacity Lease Revenues to Reach More Than $6 Billion by 2025

SES Transfers Capacity from AMC-9 Satellite Following Significant Anomaly

CYBER WARS
Northrop Grumman awarded contracts for P-8 radar systems

Sorting complicated knots

Engineers find way to evaluate green roofs

Nature-inspired material uses liquid reinforcement

CYBER WARS
NASA diligently tracks microbes inside the International Space Station

Why Does Microorganism Prefer Meager Rations Over Rich Ones

Complex Organic Molecules Found On "Space Hamburger"

Extreme Atmosphere Stripping May Limit Exoplanets' Habitability

CYBER WARS
New Mysteries Surround New Horizons' Next Flyby Target

Mid-infrared images from the Subaru telescope extend Juno spacecraft discoveries

Earth-based Views of Jupiter to Enhance Juno Flyby

NASA's Juno Spacecraft to Fly Over Jupiter's Great Red Spot July 10









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.