China plans to boost up its censorship game to target AI videos and
China's infamous censorship body has unveiled new plans to boost internet censorship in the country. This was reported by the South China Morning Post.
This time, short videos seem to be the main target, especially those that spread extremism and, for the first time, pessimistic content. Video material generated using AI is also banned.
These new guidelines are the latest attempt to further restrict and control the internet within the country's borders. As a result, we expect reliable Chinese VPN services to become an even greater necessity for visitors and citizens who want to continue to securely access the open wide web.
Chinese censorship: the main targets
Since 2020, the country's top censorship agency, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has regularly updated the list of content to be censored in the country. As mentioned, this year's “Qing Lang” (meaning clear and bright) campaign took a strong stand against short videos.
Despite being Chinese-developed software, popular video-sharing app TikTok has been banned in China. However, the censors plan to target the Chinese equivalent Douyin and other platforms where short videos are widely shared, including WeChat and Weibo.
The watchdog specifically expressed its commitment to crack down on creators who “invent stories about social minorities to gain public sympathy” and “make fake schemes and sow panic,” SCMP revealed.
Do you know?
According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese censors have deleted or blocked a total of around 30 posts 1.35 billion online accounts, 76 million illegal or inappropriate messagesAnd 10,500 websites as a result of Qing Lang's suppression campaign between 2021 and 2022.
While extremism and so-called “false values” such as money, history and race relations have long been among the targets of censorship, this is the first time that content promoting “pessimism” has been included. This new tactic appears to be linked to the country's ongoing struggle to recover economically from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another new item on the blacklist is AI-powered videos. The watchdog plans to ban short videos that manipulate content and illegally use the voices or faces of others.
Finding a way to fight back against the threats of AI-generated content, especially video and audio fraud, is undoubtedly a huge challenge and priority for many national leaders in 2024.
In July China proposed a set of guidelines for generative AI software and large language models to minimize their risks. The European Commission has just completed final negotiations on the AI law, which is likely to become the new standard in Western countries.
How a VPN can help
Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN is a security tool that protects your privacy and anonymity while also allowing you to bypass strict internet restrictions and censorship.
How? Each time you connect to the software, you must choose one of the available servers. The best VPN services offer a wide range of fast and secure locations around the world. Your real IP address is hidden, so your ISP is tricked into thinking you are in a different country depending on where your chosen server is located.
A VPN then gives you access to websites and social platforms that aren't available in your home country – and some VPNs can bypass China's infamous Great Firewall. However, a VPN cannot help you access content that authorities have removed or that a particular platform has banned from sharing.
It is also worth mentioning that Chinese authorities strictly regulate VPN use while working hard to find new and effective tactics to block VPNs.
China topped the list as the world's worst offender in VPN censorship between January and May this year. In fact, authorities block providers' websites more than eight times (812%) more than the global average of 8%.
Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a VPN provider. For example, services that implement obfuscation technology are less vulnerable to such attacks.
We also recommend that you download several apps to jump from one to the other, in case they get blocked. Check out our Best Free VPNs page to pick the more secure freebies on the market, as well as our updated guide to the best working VPNs for China.
Lesser-known tools, like the recently launched Snowstorm or Lantern, are also effective ways to reconnect a splintering web and access all the content you want, without restrictions.
We test and assess VPN services in the context of legal recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy abroad. We do not support or tolerate the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated, paid for content is not endorsed or condoned by Future Publishing.