{"id":1119126,"date":"2021-12-14T18:43:49","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T23:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1119126"},"modified":"2021-12-14T18:43:52","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T23:43:52","slug":"china-fines-weibo-social-media-outlet-half-a-million-dollars-for-not-censoring-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-fines-weibo-social-media-outlet-half-a-million-dollars-for-not-censoring-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"China Fines Weibo Social Media Outlet Half a Million Dollars for Not Censoring Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchina-fines-weibo-social-media-outlet-half-a-million-dollars-for-not-censoring-enough%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1119126&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\"><span>The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), chief online regulatory agency for the Communist regime, on Tuesday imposed a half-million-dollar fine on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging site that stands in for Twitter. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Weibo was vaguely accused of posting \u201cinformation forbidden by law and regulations,\u201d which means it did not censor its users aggressively enough to please the authoritarian government.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>The <\/span><i><span>South China Morning Post<\/span><\/i> <span>(<em>SCMP<\/em>) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/tech\/big-tech\/article\/3159611\/chinese-regulator-punishes-weibo-allowing-forbidden-information-its?utm_source=rss_feed\">speculated<\/a> the \u201cforbidden\u201d information might have pertained to tennis star Peng Shuai, who was made to disappear after <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/15\/womens-tennis-china-tennis-star-rape\/\"><span>accusing<\/span><\/a><span> a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official of sexually assaulting her a decade ago.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Peng leveled her accusation in an emotional Weibo post, which Communist Party censors erased within minutes of her posting it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Many Weibo users acted quickly enough to screen-shot the post before it was obliterated, so the censors shifted into higher gear, blocking searches for information about her and deleting her name from Chinese websites. The Party even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/11\/22\/watch-china-censors-cnn-live-feed-during-report-missing-chinese-tennis-player\/\"><span>censored<\/span><\/a><span> Western media broadcasts that mentioned her.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>The Women\u2019s Tennis Association (WTA) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/12\/01\/womens-tennis-association-suspends-all-tournaments-china-treatment-peng-shuai\/\"><span>suspended<\/span><\/a><span> all tournaments in China at the beginning of September due to the abuse of Peng Shuai, and there is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2021\/12\/03\/tennis-stars-pressure-mens-tour-join-wta-china-boycott\/\"><span>heavy pressure<\/span><\/a><span> on other tennis organizations and the Olympic committee to follow suit.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19003698\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"38\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Peng-Shuai-China-tennis-Chinese-Vice-Premier-Zhang-Gaoli-split-getty.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19003698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Peng-Shuai-China-tennis-Chinese-Vice-Premier-Zhang-Gaoli-split-getty.jpg\" alt=\"(COMBO) This combination of file photos shows tennis player Peng Shuai of China (L) during her women&#039;s singles first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 16, 2017; and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) during a visit to Russia at the Saint Petersburg International Investment Forum in Saint Petersburg on June 18, 2015. - Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well during a video call with the International Olympic Committee chief on November 21, 2021, the organisation said, amid international concern about her well-being after being seen attending a Beijing tennis tournament, marking her first public appearance since she made her accusations against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli. (Photo by Paul CROCK and Alexander ZEMLIANICHENKO \/ AFP) (Photo by PAUL CROCK,ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO\/AFP via Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>This combination of file photos shows tennis player Peng Shuai of China (L) during her women\u2019s singles first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 16, 2017; and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) during a visit to Russia at the Saint Petersburg International Investment Forum in Saint Petersburg on June 18, 2015. (Photo by PAUL CROCK,ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>CAC did not specify exactly what offenses merited Weibo\u2019s $471,165 fine, but the Communist agency said it has punished Weibo 44 times this year, with fines totaling about $2.25 million in U.S. dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9785723\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"32\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/e2857e_weibo-was-launched-in-2009-has-400-million-monthly-active-users-making-it.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9785723\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/e2857e_weibo-was-launched-in-2009-has-400-million-monthly-active-users-making-it.jpg\" alt=\"AFP\" width=\"768\" height=\"523\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>China\u2019s Weibo (PETER PARKS)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Weibo \u201csincerely accepted\u201d CAC\u2019s judgment and promised to \u201cearnestly fulfill\u201d its directives, in particular pledging to crack down on \u201csoft pornography\u201d and \u201cmalicious marketing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>The Chinese government has been cracking down on Chinese tech companies throughout 2021, a regulatory jihad that arguably began when flamboyant mogul Jack Ma dared to criticize Communist Party policies in October 2020 and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/01\/04\/chinese-billionaire-jack-ma-disappears-criticizing-communist-party\/\"><span>vanished<\/span><\/a><span> from public view soon thereafter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chinese tech companies have been fined and publicly chastised for anti-competitive <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/china-fines-tech-giants-over-anti-monopoly-violations\/\"><span>business practices<\/span><\/a><span>, allowing \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2021\/09\/09\/china-denies-fan-culture-crackdown-targets-south-korean-entertainers\/\"><span>fan culture<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d to spiral out of control, encouraging <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/chinas-singles-day-shopping-fest-subdued-by-tech-crackdown\/\"><span>excessive consumerism<\/span><\/a><span>, getting young people <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/tech\/2017\/07\/05\/china-targets-game-company-tencent-over-addiction-to-its-products\/\"><span>hooked<\/span><\/a><span> on addictive videogames, and allowing too much <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2018\/08\/22\/xi-jinping-urges-unity-thinking-end-vulgar-internet-propaganda-conference\/\"><span>\u201cvulgar\u201d material<\/span><\/a><span> to be shared online.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>At the beginning of December, CAC <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/china-fines-douban-unlawful-release-information-2021-12-02\/\"><span>fined<\/span><\/a><span> another Chinese social media company called Douban the equivalent of $235,000 U.S. for \u201cunlawful release of information.\u201d As with Tuesday\u2019s action against Weibo, no details were given.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Douban is a social media site devoted to discussing movies and popular culture. CAC hit Douban with another, much smaller <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lujuba.cc\/en\/627857.html\"><span>fine<\/span><\/a><span> on Monday, once again for distributing unspecified \u201cprohibited content.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Internet analysts puzzling over the Weibo and Douban fines suggest that in addition to silencing discussion of Peng Shuai\u2019s allegations, the Communist Party wants to tighten speech controls ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and before <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/china-fines-weibo-for-spreading-illegal-information-11639482120\"><span>next year\u2019s \u201cre-nomination\u201d<\/span><\/a><span> of Xi Jinping as China\u2019s senior leader, a position he can hold for life under rules his rubber-stamp parliament <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-china-43361276\"><span>rewrote<\/span><\/a><span> in 2018. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), chief online regulatory agency for the Communist regime, on Tuesday imposed a half-million-dollar fine on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging site that stands in for &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1119126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1119126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1119126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1119126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1119126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1119126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1119126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}