The Great Firewall or the Golden Cage?
It’s been 12 weeks and this blog will be the last blog for this unit. It’s been a pleasure for me to start practicing writing blogs every week regarding the issues and the surrounding, and it’s growing in me. Now, the last topic of the week is Global Social Media Practice – Case study on China. Why China? They are the biggest Internet nation in this world and they have cut ties with Western social media platforms and networks. Let’s move on to the important question: The Great Firewall or the Golden Cage?
China has the Great Firewall, within it are censorships everywhere. No VPN, no access to certain websites and social media platforms, such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and no information related to government. However, their people believe the government’s claim in protecting them from the “toxic” content of the outside world and their privacy. Internet services and platforms are only available in free trade area and this is just to keep the International business going and to ensure their International clients are satisfied with their trips. Their social media contents are constantly being watched by the police or a certain authority. There are also restrictions on the content they are posting, even in group chats. On the other hand, their people gets benefits from the government through social credit system, which is a system used to grade a wellbeing of a person. They are protected from the Western culture, which they can prevent the lost of their Chinese culture and traditions. Their privacy is being protected in a way that most of the Tech Giants are unable to access their private data anymore. They have their own “Chinanet” and social media platforms, with Youku Tudou and WeChat. Now tell me, is this a form of protection or oppression?
Communities and Social Credit System - What’s the consequences?
In terms of communities and societies, China has a good grip on that, as they are prioritising the control in group chats. They understand that the Internet and Social Media works because of the sense of belonging in each person which leads to the formation of communities and societies. They are constantly watching the group chat contents to prevent defamation or critics towards President Xi, such as name callings or critics towards his politics. Group chats have more censorship compared to individual private chats. What they are doing is nipping the bud of any possible politic activism that may bloom through formation of communities. The content posted online are being constantly watched and censored or taken down as they know individual posts can also affect the communities they are in, and eventually will spread to societies, just like a ripple effect. It is also the concept of communities and the societies that the Social Credit System(Sesame) is being based on. However, in my perspective, there is a huge problem with this system: How do they take account of discriminations, racism, sexism, bullying, stereotypes and prejudices during the judgement of an action of a person? Another point would be anything could be happening to that person, causing him or her to act a certain way or must break rules. Few more questions for this system: Won’t it make criminals and psychopaths harder to be spotted? They are forcing them to do good deeds and behaved in the eye of public, how do we know what kind of people they are in the dark? Are they really model citizens or model “actors”?
Punishments or warnings towards those who break the rules have become a form of warning and example to others. Who are setting these rules and standards? Human. How ideal and fair is the set of rules and standards? We will never know. For instance, Wu Xiangyang is jailed for selling VPN software in China but VPN is free to use in other countries. What is free? Most of the countries would think that this is a form of oppression. The freedom of speech of the people are being taken away by censorships and punishments. Apparently, the Mainlanders think otherwise. It can be seen as a huge fandom of the Great Firewall of China. Let’s not get to the point where they might be supporting it due to pressure or fear. In my opinion, countries of different culture will have different opinions towards this matter, as for them, it is free in the sense that they are being protected by the great Firewall of China, instead of thinking it as a golden cage where needs and necessities are fulfilled with no freedom. Here’s a video clip of TED talk done by a Mainlander regarding the matter of The Great Firewall of China:
How great is the Great Firewall of China? It is unclear whether it is able to totally cut ties with deep web, but judging from the banning of VPN, they are taking a step forward in banning deep web, and most importantly, the dark web. It is reported that there are drug dealers jailed for using the dark web to purchase an illegal drug called Carfentanil (an elephant tranquilizer) from China to sell to heroin addicts. The act of banning VPN has pros and cons, which the pro, in this case, is rather acceptable as it can be a form of protection from deep web.
Protection or oppression?
There are many sides to each matter. Social media has been evolving all the time, from connecting with people to social and political activism, forming communities, societies and even fandom and censorship. Great Firewall of China or Golden Cage, which side are you on?
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