Busting China’s Bloggers

In August, Chinese authorities launched the most severe round yet in their “campaign against cybercrime.” Ostensibly to curtail online “rumors,” they are rounding up and jailing outspoken netizens across the country.

Judging from official media accounts and police reports, the number of arrests is in the hundreds, and many of us believe it may be in the thousands. Meanwhile, the state media have published a steady flow of articles warning microbloggers to tone down their commentaries. It’s easy to see why the government feels threatened. The most popular microblogging service, Sina’s Weibo, has more than 500 million registered members and 54 million daily users, and has become the most important space for citizens to participate in public life — and expose government lies. Microbloggers dare to question the legitimacy of the one-party state. They expose corruption. They shame criminals. And bloggers don’t just express opinions; we act as information hubs. When we discuss issues online, people take notice. The vast state censorship apparatus works hard to keep us down. But posts race through Weibo so quickly that it’s difficult to control them with technology. Hence, the government is resorting to detainment.