Chinese Embassy Gets Briefly Suspended From Twitter; Insists 'Free Speech Must Be Honored' On Platform Banned Across China

from the want-to-try-that-again? dept

Content moderation at scale is impossible to do well. By now we've established that pretty firmly. However, there's something deeply amusing to see that when the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka was temporarily banned from Twitter over what Twitter later claimed was a "systematic mistake," that the embassy then chose to go on a little righteous rant about free speech needing to be honored.

The Embassy put out a press release more or less saying the same thing:

On 13th April, Twitter suspended the official account of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL), without informing any specific reason. The Embassy made solemn representation to Twitter twice, requesting the latter to clarify and correct their decision, to avoid any misunderstanding and random association in the public. In the early morning of 14th April, Twitter officially replied the Embassy for a "systematic mistake", apologized and unsuspended the Embassy's account.

The Embassy feels regretful to this "systematic mistake", and would like to reiterate that the "Freedom of Speech" must be honored, while not be misused to spread groundless, racial or hatred speech, nor be treated with "Double Standards".

At first I thought that the "regretful" feelings indicated an admission that the "systematic mistake" was on the part of the embassy, but it appears that the embassy means Twitter itself. As for the whole "freedom of speech must be honored bit," someone should remind the embassy that Twitter itself is banned throughout China.

However, if I'm reading this correctly, the Embassy is indicating to Twitter that if it merely makes "solemn representations" to the Chinese government, requesting that it "clarify and correct their decision to avoid any misunderstanding and random association in the public," why surely the Chinese government will end the ban on Twitter. Right?

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Filed Under: bans, china, embassy, free speech, social media, sri lanka
Companies: twitter


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 12:44pm

    It's almost like they don't understand how free speech works.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 12:54pm

    Re:

    Sure they do. All speech is free. It's just that some speech is more free than others.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 1:07pm

    ... hypocrite said what?

    The Embassy feels regretful to this "systematic mistake", and would like to reiterate that the "Freedom of Speech" must be honored, while not be misused to spread groundless, racila or hatred speech, nor be treated with "Double Standards".

    Double standards like, oh I dunno, throwing a fit that you got temporarily suspended on a platform banned in your home country? Objecting that your access was temporarily removed from a platform that isn't allowed to those in your home country?

    Those kinds of 'double standards'?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 1:52pm

    Can we nominate the statement from the Chinese Embassy for a Funniest Comment of the Week award?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 1:55pm

    Re:

    Sure they do. "You are free to say what we want you to say"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 2:01pm

    So, China, hypocrite much?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 2:36pm

    Re:

    Or maybe one of their employees does, and will soon be fired for this post.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 2:45pm

    Ah, but Mike, you're missing the important point here:

    while not be misused to spread groundless, racila or hatred speech

    Twitter is banned in China due to spreading groundless, racila or hatred speech.

    The embassy would be happy with being banned from Twitter if it were doing the same thing. What they're upset at is being banned without reason.

    The problem, of course, being: what speech is considered groundless?

    Followed by: what speech is considered racila?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    ECA (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 2:57pm

    HOW many

    of those from China, living and representing China around the World, LOVE they are not in CHINA??

    Same reasoning that Many Muslims LEAVE those area's that have Groups enforcing, Obsolete ideals.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:13pm

    Twitter probably needs to lock the account, seems pretty likely it's credentials have been compromised

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:21pm

    Re:

    What they're upset at is being banned without reason.

    Simple solution: Ban their account for mind-blowing levels of irony in a single post. And because China.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    bhull242 (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:23pm

    Re:

    And then by: what the f&$k does “racila” mean?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Samuel Abram (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:37pm

    Re: Re:

    I assume it's a misspelling of "racial"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    Mike Masnick (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:45pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Bah, it's my misspelling in transcribing the image of the press release they posted. Fixed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    bhull242 (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 3:50pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Ah. I thought it was a mistake, but I’d assumed it was in the original.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    icon
    Godfree (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 4:25pm

    Banned, blocked, whatever

    Twitter itself is banned throughout China. Why?

    Oh, riiiiight. The 2009 Urumqi religious riot that killed over 200 civilians and injured thousands more was coordinated through Facebook and, when the Government asked Facebook to cooperate with the Police, Facebook refused and has been blocked ever since.

    The following year, on January 12, 2010 Google announced that it would no longer conform to China’s censorship laws, “We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all.”

    Twitter and Youtube, which took the same stance, were blocked.

    P.S. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter removed accounts and content opposing the illegal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 4:48pm

    Re:

    I second the motion.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Apr 2020 @ 5:14pm

    Re: Banned, blocked, whatever

    Hmmm, I believe that's a 'strawman' you've got there (Facebooks' alleged bad behavior really doesn't logically lead directly to Twitter being blocked).

    I also: I guess you believe that if people hear an idea they will be instantly brainwashed and believe it (or at least that applies to some significant portion of the population). If you don't believe that I can't imagine how you justify blaming a communications medium for other peoples (alleged) bad behavior.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 6:58pm

    Hope the PRC got their 50 cents’ worth out of you.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Glen, 21 Apr 2020 @ 8:54pm

    Re:

    Isn't it more about that Social Credit Score or whatever the hell it is?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    Khym Chanur (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 9:30pm

    Re: Re:

    I'm sure Godfree will be happy to explain why the Social Credit System is a good thing and not at all something from straight out of a dystopian novel.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 21 Apr 2020 @ 11:56pm

    Re:

    "It's almost like they don't understand how free speech works."

    Of course they do. Speech which has been vetted by the relevant authority should be heard by everyone.

    That way inaccuracies, falsehoods, and the occasional inconvenient fact about the leadership of the nation gets sorted out first. No one wants to hear about those things anyway.

    The problem here is that Twitter lamentably suspended an account which WAS vetted by the relevant chinese authorities. No wonder they're pissed off.

    /s ...in case someone missed it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 12:04am

    Re: Banned, blocked, whatever

    "Twitter itself is banned throughout China. Why?"

    Because too many people on twitter are discussing the ethnic cleansing of the Uighurs going on in Xinjiang?

    "...when the Government asked Facebook to cooperate with the Police, Facebook refused and has been blocked ever since. "

    That FB refused to provide the personal information of a hundred million non-chinese citizens to chinese authorities without being given a damn good reason isn't something most westerners would object to. Facebook certainly has issues in many ways but that, dear astroturfer, wasn't good value for the 50 cents I assume you're being paid to put out the government-approved public message from Beijing.

    Once again, since it appears we've gotten someone on this forum who actually sounds and acts like a bona fide 50-cent army astroturfer, I think you need to get your game out of the obvious old USSR-style boilerplate propaganda if you want to get anyone to read what you're being paid to write.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 12:05am

    Re: Re: Re:

    "I'm sure Godfree will be happy to explain why the Social Credit System is a good thing and not at all something from straight out of a dystopian novel."

    Of course he will. He already had himself a good old-fashioned one-sided wordwall argument as to why the chinese are just happy to have the media run and controlled by the state.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. icon
    Jeroen Hellingman (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 1:47am

    Under any rational interpretation of the law, any new regulation at the same level as an old regulation that contradicts that old regulation should automatically supersede that old regulation. Only problem: Officers are not exactly known for doing the rational thing, and getting justice through the courts is either too costly or takes too long.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    ryuugami, 22 Apr 2020 @ 2:45am

    Re:

    ... I think you meant to post this under the New York mask-anti-mask article.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 5:06am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Given their posting history has simply been 'find article critical of china, post some blatantly obvious propaganda and then leave' I'm sure they will be happy to not do anything of the sort.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 5:35am

    Re:

    Spoiler: They did not.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. icon
    urza9814 (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 5:42am

    They may have a point...

    Ironic as it is, I think they may have a point here. Twitter regularly gives Trump a pass when he violates their terms; why shouldn't other governments get the same treatment?

    Can you imagine what they'd be saying if Twitter banned Trump, even by accident? Surely they have a way of preventing that, and if they're gonna do that it's only fair they apply it to other government officials as well...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 5:58am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "I'm sure they will be happy to not do anything of the sort."

    Depends. Do we have a pending article on the chinese Social Credit System our good "Godfree" can put a comment to where he explains how having a government-approved rating on your worth as a human being is a great thing?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. icon
    Norahc (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 6:56am

    Re: They may have a point...

    Why should a government get a pass on a service they have banned in their country? If they want to complain about it the least they could do is allow that service to their citizens, otherwise it's just another case if the rules don't apply to the chosen few.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    Naughty Autie, 22 Apr 2020 @ 10:34am

    I no longer know which group's the most hypocritical: the Tories or the Chinese government!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Naughty Autie, 22 Apr 2020 @ 10:37am

    Re: They may have a point...

    Talking of Trump, I used to believe that his parents were Roman Catholics before I Googled them to find out. The guy is <i>such</i> a failed Withdrawal Method! :D

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    Avideogameplayer, 22 Apr 2020 @ 10:38am

    Would I be able to get a car using my Social Rating score in China?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2020 @ 10:48am

    Re:

    We just have to make sure you get enough votes, and then they win by proxy!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. icon
    Mike Masnick (profile), 22 Apr 2020 @ 4:24pm

    Re: Banned, blocked, whatever

    Hi "Godfree",

    Is there a reason you only seem to post blatant, laughably obvious Chinese party-line propaganda on Techdirt?

    Thanks,
    Mike

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 23 Apr 2020 @ 1:41am

    Re: Re: Banned, blocked, whatever

    "Is there a reason you only seem to post blatant, laughably obvious Chinese party-line propaganda on Techdirt?"

    Pending "Godfree"''s answer - which will no doubt, in the mutual interest of intellectually honest debate, be swiftly forthcoming cough I can only posit the hypothesis that he built himself that account for the exclusive use on TD.

    Now if I was a cynical and suspicious bastard I might expand that hypothesis and imply that TD's policy of being liberal with account creation proves to be low-hanging fruit for casually passing astroturfers.

    Since I'm neither cynical nor overly suspicious in mindset I'll just posit that "Godfree" must have a perfectly logical explanation as to why he keeps posting classical USSR-style propaganda at a time when China desperately wants to remove the egg from their outside face.

    (/s)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    Scary Devil Monastery (profile), 23 Apr 2020 @ 1:47am

    Re:

    "Would I be able to get a car using my Social Rating score in China?"

    Depends. Has the local party hack had reason to consistently pump your social rating because of your devotion to Emperor Xi, or possibly because you haven't been such an unsocial cad as to fail to fill the pockets of said party hack with Yuan?

    Then you can get a loan for that car and a driver's license.

    Otherwise, you get nothing, and will be living in the slums while every honest citizen rightly shuns you for the unproductive parasite bereft of any social conscience that you are.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 26 Apr 2020 @ 12:03pm

    Mission accomplished! 😁

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Apr 2020 @ 6:25pm

    Twitter is not banned in China. Twitter is blocked to serve content in China because it refused to stop criminal terrorist activities organizing, recreuiting and celebrating terror attacks and murders in broad dailylight on Twitters platform, because Twitter got under presssure of the US regime financing these "moderate freedom" terrorists trough proxies like NED.

    Now watch the NED drones shriek.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. icon
    Mike Masnick (profile), 28 Apr 2020 @ 9:29pm

    Re:

    Twitter is not banned in China. Twitter is blocked to serve content in China

    So... Twitter is banned in China. Got it.

    ...because it refused to stop criminal terrorist activities organizing, recreuiting and celebrating terror attacks and murders in broad dailylight on Twitters platform...

    How does one commit "murders in broad daylight on Twitters platform"?

    Send back Godfree. At least his arguments made sense. Enjoy your 50 cents.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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