Big Bang in China’s Digital Domains
Imagine a massive digital spring‑cleaning where the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) strides in with a broom and a glow‑stick, sweeping away what it calls the “trash cans” of the internet.
What Got Deleted?
- More than 7 million individual pieces of information – think of every single meme, tweet, and article that didn’t fit the landlord’s taste.
- 9,382 mobile apps that were deemed unfit for the campus – a digital purge that even would make a tech-savvy grandpa gasp.
- 733 stubborn websites that tried to stay alive in the shade of the sunset.
Tencent’s “Meme‑Problem” App
The CAC singled out Tencent’s Tiantian Kuaibao news app and told it to tighten its belt: the platform was “spreading vulgar and low‑brow information that was harmful and damaging to the internet ecosystem.”
Tencent hasn’t answered the question, but the message is clear: “We’re about to hit the remix button.”
Other Not‑So‑Nice Players
- Huaban, the photo‑sharing network, was called out for having “serious ecosystem problems.” The company itself admitted its services were temporarily down for “upgrades,” a bit like a zoo that’s closed for renovations before revealing a new, cleaner exhibit.
China’s Digital Tightening Grip
Under President Xi Jinping, China’s control over the internet has tightened faster than a snowball in a Siberian blizzard. Since 2016, the ruling party has been on a mission to keep dissent at bay, especially in the flourishing realms of social media.
November’s Night of Purge
Just a month earlier, the CAC deactivated 9,800 social media accounts of independent news outlets, citing grievances like spreading “politically harmful information” and “falsifying the history of the Communist Party.” The online realm seems set on keeping the narrative clean, as clean as a freshly polished smartphone screen.
In short, when China’s watchdog gets a run for their money, the internet gets an overhaul – tidy, regulated, and, if you’re lucky, a little less chaotic.
