Week 11: Global social media: case study China
(Image: Trinity News, 2013)
I must have been put into a bubble the last decade and a half to not know much about the Great Firewall of China. Maybe in passing conversation but I may have missed the key element of what is happening outside of Australia and how China’s government are controlling the community network.
What I’ve learnt this week is that China’s Western government have blocked and denied the communities access to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and even Wikipedia. Charlie Osborne of ZD Net (2015) has recently stated that “Internet filtering is also used to place local tech firms ahead of foreign competition, and give the country's officials an Internet space they can control. At least, to an extent, while VPNs and circumvention exists”
The VPN (virtual private networks) is a way individuals circumvent the firewall, allowing them access beyond the controlled sites the government are putting a stop to. “Critics argue that online filtering is not only hampering the general public but is stifling the innovation needed to revive the Chinese economy” (Osborne, 2015).
“Companies should learn how Chinese consumers use social media and take advantage of the platforms to conduct consumer research, launch products, manage public relations crises, and more” (Crampton, 2011) we depend too much on social media and marketing products online as the focus is all about future technology, if China are able to be successful in running a business with a blocked social media system then I don’t see the any faults to anyone not being successful in their home country.
I agree with the comment bade by Chiu, Lin and Silverman (2012) as they claim “Social media is exploding worldwide and China is leading the way” as whether or not it is blocked, communities in China will be able to use a form of social media even if it’s designed by the government in order for them to control content seen online. “One aspect of social-media usage in China stands out compared with that of other countries: it has a greater influence on purchasing decisions for consumers in China than for those anywhere else in the world” (Chiu et al, 2012), China has a great influence on countries especially Australia.
In an article by Marina Kamerev (2010) she stated that “If Canberra's plans for a mandatory Internet filter go ahead, Australia may soon become the first Western democracy to join the ranks of Iran, China and a handful of other nations where access to the Internet is restricted by the state”, since then discussions for a filtering system has not been implemented…yet anyway.
(Image: The Motley Fool, 2012)
References
Chiu, C, Lin, D & Silverman, A 2012, China's social-media boom, McKinsey & Company, viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/chinas_social-media_boom>.
Crampton, T 2011, 'Social media in China: The same, but different, China Business Review, Vol. 38, no. 1, pp 28-31, viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://www.thomascrampton.com/china/social-media-china-business-review/>.
Kamenev, M., 2010. First, China. Next: the Great Firewall of... Australia, viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1995615,00.html>
Osborne, C., 2015. China revamps Great Firewall, cracks down on social media, viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://www.zdnet.com/article/china-revamps-great-firewall-cracks-down-on-social-media/>
Niu, E., 2012. Facebook Scales the Great Firewall of China viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/09/28/facebook-scales-the-great-firewall-of-china.aspx>
Trinity News, 2013. The Great Firewall of China, viewed 04 Feb 2015, <http://trinitynews.ie/the-great-firewall-of-china/>
