China Now Has the “Most Sophisticated” Censorship Program on the Planet

From:
Underground Reporter
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By James Holbrooks
30 June 2016
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undergroundreporter.org...
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Those words, from a 2014 article in the New York Times, describe Lu Wei — the man who, until very recently, was the chief Internet regulator in what that same publication noted was “already the world’s most sophisticated system of online censorship.”
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By August 0f 2014, for instance, the Wall Street Journal was reporting that China would begin ramping up constraints on the country’s instant messaging services — platforms that were becoming increasingly popular arenas for political discussion and debate.
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By the end of 2015 — as AntiMedia has previously reported — China rolled out a “social credit system” that, in effect, “gamified obedience to the State.” Citizens would be given a social credit score based on the type of content they — and even their friends and families — post online. The better the party looks in your posts, the higher your score. And vice versa.
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I used to think that China was worse than the USA on such scores.
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Maybe they are in specific areas . . . However, the oligarchy really does monitor all electricity based communications channels 24/7/365 and has for more than 40 years--with literally acres of computers.
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It sounds like this bloke is a TRUE BELIEVER TYRANT of the worst order in terms of his effectiveness. He probably kisses babies like Hitler but I still wouldn't want him for a relative.
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I grieve for my loved ones still there. Thankfully, the Christian church there is more authentic and offers more support and hope for individuals than is typical in the USA.
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Still . . . it is a huge tragedy that the populace cannot enjoy the internet unfettered and without being fearful of every word they type.
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The sesame credit system ?
I hope this wont become the future of internet.

a reply to: BO XIAN

I wonder who he had for a coach and where they were from?

Gotta wonder why these sorts of articles get published in countries that claim they are free and open societies. Is it to perpetrate that myth to their own people or show how big, bad and evil China is or, is it both? This all within the context of 'tension' between the US and China over the south China sea. Notice that there were few, if any of these sorts of articles before the tensions arose.

Makes me wonder where the interests of the people who published this piece lie.

Interesting article in any event.

a reply to: Azureblue

INDEED. And what foreign country did he study in?

a reply to: BO XIAN

I wonder which security model is the best? China seeks to prevent dissenting talk on the internet whilst the West allows it and records it all.

Suppressing ideas or disenchantment doesn't make it all go away, but pushes it underground where it can become invisible. I also wonder if dissidents can 'hide' behind excellent 'social credit' scores whilst fomenting political action in the underground.

Our Western system is probably more successful in identifying people for watch lists. Theirs is better at the social engineering side of things imo.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: BO XIAN

I wonder which security model is the best? China seeks to prevent dissenting talk on the internet whilst the West allows it and records it all.

Suppressing ideas or disenchantment doesn't make it all go away, but pushes it underground where it can become invisible. I also wonder if dissidents can 'hide' behind excellent 'social credit' scores whilst fomenting political action in the underground.

Our Western system is probably more successful in identifying people for watch lists. Theirs is better at the social engineering side of things imo.

Exactly... The west has always seemed to think give them enough rope and they will expose themselves and maybe even hang themselves. But China!!!!! no way .... no improper thoughts especially about the leadership. Unfortunately many in S.E. Asia are looking at the Chinese model of thought and internet control as a proper way to control the population. So far most gate keeper proposals have been shot down due to businesses crying foul.

a reply to: 727Sky

Aye, it's a cliché that freedom is illusory in the modern world.

China seem focused on social controls and yet they seem to have a thriving criminal class. I would have expected them to be ruthlessly effective in reducing organised crime and yet it seems culturally ever-present.

This is only my impression from reading news stories over the years. There are frequent stories about extortion and business take-overs via owners going 'missing.'

a reply to: Kandinsky

I don't know about the underground bit for sure but it is plausible.

Certainly they are experts at hidden, underground things.

They are also experts at infiltrating such groups with spies.

I think China does all the monitoring of circuits that the USA does PLUS millions of informers on one another. There is no privacy there, either.

The most one can hope for is that his dossier is so massive or so thin that folks pay no attention to critical details.

The political winds from Beijing and from Provincial headquarters can change on a dime . . . One needs to keep abreast of them to stay out of trouble, in most cases.

And, they are experts at appearing inoffensive to one and all as much as possible.

Time will tell which culture was the most self-destructive. It appears that China is slated to be the most Christian--probably already is in raw numbers of authentic Christians.

a reply to: Kandinsky

CORRUPTION is rife.

And the Party has been a hot-bed of it.

Yet, the Party realizes that corruption is their chief detractor and periodically makes show trials of those who ended up on the short end of the stick for one reason or another.

I used to think we were far less corrupt. Then I remembered the Clintons.

I think the Chinese laughed big time at us over the Clintons. No respect whatsoever . . . in terms of their character . . . but new how to manage corrupt narcissistic politicos.

and china is doing just fine.

just compare 'X' to 'X' (china and the US) and decide which is correct on censorship or 'freedom or speech'- with an asterisk next to it.

a reply to: odzeandennz

How would you define

"correct on censorship?"

And how do you mean China is doing just fine?

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: odzeandennz

How would you define

"correct on censorship?"

And how do you mean China is doing just fine?

i mean just that. if censorship is a bad thing, then it hadn't effected them developmentally as a world power and leader in many fields.

i dont think censorship is actually detrimental to china in any way.

on the other hand to countries like N. Korea, India, pakistan, or any 3rd world economies whom use censorship as a subversive tool to enforce some form of dictatorship, censorship is not beneficial in any ways.

there's no comparing china to N Korea. both heavily censor communications; two different economies, societies, and ideals. China is doing something right.

or look at the US's prison systems vs China. look at crime rates vs population per capita, or anything really. censorship in china vs western freedom of everything, have glaring continuity differences. theres no point in denying that.

a reply to: odzeandennz

What you assert has some validity.

I am not that comfortable with your seeming inferences.

Tyranny is evil. Period.

That some tyrannies are better than others is a given.

However, tyranny tends to wax worse and worse until it self-destructs; is over-thrown or is conquered from the outside.

Tyranny is not friendly to the middle class nor to serfs, slaves and other living things.

Lol this is some serious evil mastermind crap. It always baffles me how such a large population goes along with all the nonsense their government does. Absolutely unbelievable.