What is the Chinese-made SNS 'Douban' that has survived repeated censorship?
In China, major SNS such as Twitter and Facebook, which have a large number of users worldwide, are regulated by government authorities, so unique SNS such as
China's most chaotic social network survived Beijing's censors — until now --Rest of World
https://restofworld.org/2022/china-censors-social-network-douban/
Douban has a long history, and started service in 2005, a year earlier than Twitter. Originally started as a review site for books, music, movies, etc., Douban has grown into an SNS with millions of users as soon as a system like a bulletin board gathers people. As of 2013, the number of users reached 200 million, and it has grown to become one of the top SNS in Japan, but on the other hand, 'censorship' by the management under the pressure of the government is often regarded as a problem.
In 2009, Douban removed the community talking about the French cultural movement ' Renaissance ' because it 'contains pornographic elements'. Some users have protested this move by launching a movement to 'dress famous paintings and statues,' but later posts about this movement will be removed by the operation. In addition, in 2011, Douban removed a post planning an LGBT-themed film festival, causing the LGBT group to protest against Douban. Most of these were accused of 'surviving on the Internet more than profit or fame' because Douban followed the Chinese government's decision.
However, it is said that Douban has strengthened censorship in earnest after 2019. Still, Chinese officials fined Douban a total of 1,500,000 yuan (about 190 million yen) in 2021 for 'insufficient censorship' and a penalty for temporarily removing Douban from the app store within the same year. I imposed. In addition, authorities reportedly set up a government censorship task force team within Douban in March 2022 to regularly oversee the censorship situation.
Douban is removing popular communities one after another under these pressures, but some users are saying, 'I don't know why.' The deleted groups include the 'Korean Kimchi Group' with an estimated 27,100 users, the 'Eat, Drink and Enjoy Group in Beijing' with an estimated 448,188 users, and celebrity gossip and feminism. The 'Goose Group' with an estimated number of 685,878 users to be discussed.
Originally, Douban's management launched the service with the 'non-interference principle', and it was said that it was a laissez-faire system without user traffic or censorship for advertising revenue. While these quirky services have led to the gathering and prosperity of some enthusiastic fans and passionate groups, they have also caught the eye of government officials. Eventually, due to the replacement of employees and the increased pressure from the government, the system changed to the current one.
However, some users have stated that 'the entire Internet in China is strictly controlled,' indicating that there is no choice but to strengthen the management system. A user of Douban's largest lesbian community says, 'No one is so straightforward that Douban can always protect a lonely minority.' A user who peeped into the Goose group every day said, 'I never give up on the group. I feel that the day may come when the restrictions will be lifted. Without Douban, we would have an equal and free discussion. You will lose your place. '
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