A study by researchers at Harvard University offers an intriguing look behind the veil of China’s extensive Internet censorship effort, and suggests that censorship behavior around specific topics could serve as a predictor of government action. The group found, for example, that censors began removing a higher-than-normal percentage of comments referring to outspoken artist and political activist Ai Weiwei several days before his surprise arrest in 2011.
The research, which the authors call “the first large-scale, multiple-source analysis” of social media censorship in China, is certainly comprehensive. And its publication comes at a time when the Chinese government’s efforts to control online discourse have garnered worldwide attention.
via technology review
June 13, 2012
