Surviving Online Censorship in China: Three Satirical Tactics and their Impact

Abstract

What accounts for online satirical campaigns that survive censorship in China where the state has formidable power to censor and manipulate online communication? Through comparative case studies of three attempts to challenge the policies or malpractices of the Chinese state in 2009, this article explains how different satirical tactics can influence the outcomes of online activism. It argues that online satirical campaigns are most likely to survive when activists adopt the tactic of “parodic satire,” whereby activists mimic a specific practice of the state and skilfully transplant it to other contexts. Since the language used by the activists resembles that of the powerful, the tactic allows netizens to exaggerate the internal contradictions of the policies or practices concerned without creating an easily identifiable symbol of resistance in the process. This tactic not only increases the cost to the state of censoring critical messages, but also restrains activists from extending their criticisms of the original subject to other areas. As a result, it increases the chance for the activists to exert insistent pressure on the state.

Neural Network Prediction of Censorable Language

“…Research that pays more attention to linguistic properties of online censorship in the context of censorship evasion include, for example, Safaka et al (2016) who apply linguistic steganography to circumvent censorship. Lee (2016) uses parodic satire to bypass censorship in China and claims that this stylistic device delays and often evades censorship. Hiruncharoenvate et al (2015) show that the use of homophones of censored keywords on Sina Weibo could help extend the time a Weibo post could remain available online.…”

Remembering disappeared websites in China: Passion, community, and youth

“…To manage contention, the Chinese government has shaped up a complex system of institutions and practices of censorship and governance (Esarey, 2015; Han, 2015; King et al, 2013; MacKinnon, 2008; Pan, 2016; Tsui, 2003). In response, Chinese Internet users creatively fight censorship, such as using code words and images as well as humor and satire to circulate forbidden information (Lee, SY, 2016; Wallis, 2015; Yang, 2014; Yang and Jiang, 2015).…”

“…Yet even in acts of remembering, web users still have to be tactful. Besides the use of coded language and imagery common in Chinese cyberspace (Lee, SY, 2016;Wallis, 2015;Yang, 2014), one tactic is the use of obituary as a satirical form of protest at the closure of a website. Our sample contains 19 obituaries written for 18 different websites.…”

“…The difference is that this obituary of a dead website celebrates the spirit of freedom, independence, and authenticity of the Internet, not the values propagated in official obituaries of party leaders. It is a perfect example of the political irreverence in Chinese Internet culture (Esarey and Xiao, 2008;Lee, SY, 2016;Yang and Jiang, 2015).…”

Contriving the Future by Tampering with the Past: A Deferral Tactic in Chinese Internet Censorship

“…(a) November[22][23][24] 2018 (b) November[25][26][27] 2018 Plots of the social network analysis. The network structure in the left panel has changed from a polycentric one to a monocentric one, as shown in the right panel.…”