RedNote Scrambles to Hire English-Speaking Content Moderators (wired.com) 43
ABC News reported that the official newspaper of China's communist party is claiming TikTok refugees on RedNote found a "new home," and "openness, communication, and mutual learning are... the heartfelt desires of people from all countries."
But in fact, Wired reports, "China's Cyberspace Administration, the country's top internet watchdog, has reportedly already grown concerned about content being shared by foreigners on Xiaohongshu," and "warned the platform earlier this week to 'ensure China-based users can't see posts from U.S. users,' according to The Information."
And that's just the beginning. Wired reports that RedNote is now also "scrambling to hire English-speaking moderators." Social media platforms in China are legally required to remove a wide range of content, including nudity and graphic violence, but especially information that the government deems politically sensitive... "RedNote — like all platforms owned by Chinese companies — is subject to the Chinese Communist Party's repressive laws," wrote Allie Funk, research director for technology and democracy at the nonprofit human rights organization Freedom House, in an email to WIRED. "Independent researchers have documented how keywords deemed sensitive to those in power, such as discussion of labor strikes or criticism of Xi Jinping, can be scrubbed from the platform."
But the influx of American TikTok users — as many as 700,000 in merely two days, according to Reuters — could be stretching Xiaohongshu's content moderation abilities thin, says Eric Liu, an editor at China Digital Times, a California-based publication documenting censorship in China, who also used to work as a content moderator himself for the Chinese social media platform Weibo... Liu reposted a screenshot on Bluesky showing that some people who recently joined Xiaohongshu have received notifications that their posts can only be shown to other users after 48 hours, seemingly giving the company time to determine whether they may be violating any of the platform's rules. This is a sign that Xiaohongshu's moderation teams are unable to react swiftly, Liu says...
While the majority of the new TikTok refugees still appear to be enjoying their time on Xiaohongshu, some have already had their posts censored. Christine Lu, a Taiwanese-American tech entrepreneur who created a Xiaohongshu account on Wednesday, says she was suspended after uploading three provocative posts about Tiananmen, Tibet, and Taiwan. "I support more [Chinese and American] people engaging directly. But also, knowing China, I knew it wouldn't last for long," Lu tells WIRED.
Despite the 700,000 signups in two days, "It's also worth nothing that the migration to RedNote is still very small, and only a fraction of the 170 million people in the US who use TikTok," notes The Conversation. (And they add that "The US government also has the authority to pressure Apple to remove RedNote from the US App Store if it thinks the migration poses a national security threat.")
One nurse told the Los Angeles Times Americans signed up for the app because they "just don't want to give in" to "bullying" by the U.S. government. (The Times notes she later recorded a video acknowledging that on the Chinese-language app, "I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what I'm reading, I'm just pressing buttons.") On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials had discussed the possibility of selling TikTok to a trusted non-Chinese party such as Elon Musk, who already owns social media platform X. However, analysts said that Bytedance is unlikely to agree to a sale of the underlying algorithm that powers the app, meaning the platform under a new owner could still look drastically different.
But in fact, Wired reports, "China's Cyberspace Administration, the country's top internet watchdog, has reportedly already grown concerned about content being shared by foreigners on Xiaohongshu," and "warned the platform earlier this week to 'ensure China-based users can't see posts from U.S. users,' according to The Information."
And that's just the beginning. Wired reports that RedNote is now also "scrambling to hire English-speaking moderators." Social media platforms in China are legally required to remove a wide range of content, including nudity and graphic violence, but especially information that the government deems politically sensitive... "RedNote — like all platforms owned by Chinese companies — is subject to the Chinese Communist Party's repressive laws," wrote Allie Funk, research director for technology and democracy at the nonprofit human rights organization Freedom House, in an email to WIRED. "Independent researchers have documented how keywords deemed sensitive to those in power, such as discussion of labor strikes or criticism of Xi Jinping, can be scrubbed from the platform."
But the influx of American TikTok users — as many as 700,000 in merely two days, according to Reuters — could be stretching Xiaohongshu's content moderation abilities thin, says Eric Liu, an editor at China Digital Times, a California-based publication documenting censorship in China, who also used to work as a content moderator himself for the Chinese social media platform Weibo... Liu reposted a screenshot on Bluesky showing that some people who recently joined Xiaohongshu have received notifications that their posts can only be shown to other users after 48 hours, seemingly giving the company time to determine whether they may be violating any of the platform's rules. This is a sign that Xiaohongshu's moderation teams are unable to react swiftly, Liu says...
While the majority of the new TikTok refugees still appear to be enjoying their time on Xiaohongshu, some have already had their posts censored. Christine Lu, a Taiwanese-American tech entrepreneur who created a Xiaohongshu account on Wednesday, says she was suspended after uploading three provocative posts about Tiananmen, Tibet, and Taiwan. "I support more [Chinese and American] people engaging directly. But also, knowing China, I knew it wouldn't last for long," Lu tells WIRED.
Despite the 700,000 signups in two days, "It's also worth nothing that the migration to RedNote is still very small, and only a fraction of the 170 million people in the US who use TikTok," notes The Conversation. (And they add that "The US government also has the authority to pressure Apple to remove RedNote from the US App Store if it thinks the migration poses a national security threat.")
One nurse told the Los Angeles Times Americans signed up for the app because they "just don't want to give in" to "bullying" by the U.S. government. (The Times notes she later recorded a video acknowledging that on the Chinese-language app, "I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what I'm reading, I'm just pressing buttons.") On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials had discussed the possibility of selling TikTok to a trusted non-Chinese party such as Elon Musk, who already owns social media platform X. However, analysts said that Bytedance is unlikely to agree to a sale of the underlying algorithm that powers the app, meaning the platform under a new owner could still look drastically different.
all you have to do is give up your US citizenship! (Score:4, Funny)
all you have to do is give up your US citizenship!
Re:all you have to do is give up your US citizensh (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm sure there are other TicToc clones out there but they go pick the one inspired by Mao? This is like the cows complaining the farmer took away their oats so they run away to the butcher's feed lot!
They already skipped voting or picked the Man who began the ban in the 1st place. Why wouldn't they make more foolish decisions?
Re: (Score:2)
I've been posting a lot of "tank man" pictures
The "tank man" photo is from 35 years ago.
To Gen-Z, it's ancient history.
they were unfamiliar with Mao's cultural revolution.
Even fewer are aware that the leaders who suppressed the Tiananmen Square protest had opposed the Cultural Revolution.
In 1967, a student mob tried to take over China. They succeeded, and three million people died.
In 1989, a student mob tried to take over China. They failed, and three hundred people died.
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Even fewer are aware that the leaders who suppressed the Tiananmen Square protest had opposed the Cultural Revolution.
You appear to be unaware that the Cultural Revolution was lead by Chairman Mao to regain power after the Disaster of The Great Leap Forward.
The Great Leap Forward was Mao's idea to Industrialise China by turning China's Rural Villages and Farms into Factory's.
Farmers not growing food lead to the second largest famine in History with estimates of the death toll of between 15 and 50 million people.
In 1967, a student mob tried to take over China. They succeeded, and three million people died.
Unfortunately Chairman Mao and his Student revolutionary's the Red Guards succeeded.
In 1989, a student mob tried to take over China. They failed, and three hundred people died.
The number of dead is more
Re: (Score:2)
You appear to be unaware that the Cultural Revolution was lead by Chairman Mao to regain power after the Disaster of The Great Leap Forward.
You seem to be unaware that the people leading China today are the political heirs of those who tried to remove Mao from power and were targeted by the Cultural Revolution.
The number of dead is more like 30 000.
Citation needed. Even the estimates by those opposed to the CCP's actions have estimated a death toll far smaller than that.
Tiananman Square - Death toll [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Citation needed. Even the estimates by those opposed to the CCP's actions have estimated a death toll far smaller than that.
What a silly thing to ask for, macabre even, The answer is no one except the very high up in the CCP knows.
We know it was at least 10000 as the British Ambassador Alan Donald was on record saying that he had been told that at least 10 000 people had died.
From the pictures I have seen , actual physical photos from people who were at the protests, There were thousands of people in the square when the tanks crushed the crowd.
It was even stupider than that (Score:1)
Stalin did the same thing and for the same dumb reasons: it fit in with the hyper nationalism both men were using to control their population.
So anyway both men did the same stupid thing: double plant. They thought if they planted twice as much they'd get twice as food
Re: (Score:2)
But the tankman photos show the exact OPPOSITE of what people have been claiming. If tanks were just running over people or shooting people, why did the tank try to avoid the guy three times, with the guy trying to get ran over instead?
So according to your logic, or the Chinese Police perhaps ?, The fact that One Tank driver didn't want to drive over a protestor, means the rest of the Tank drivers didn't.
There are photo's of bodies crushed by Tanks in Tiananmen Square on the Net that disprove this misinformation.
Re: (Score:2)
What's "disgusting" is that people in the US such as yourself are so propagandized that you think Tank Man was killed. That was such a successful lie foisted on you, that the Tank Man clip was featured in an ad for the army's psychological division. They're laughing in your face about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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The fact that he wasn't killed is perhaps what makes the Chinese censorship about the incident so ridiculous.
BTW he then spent 18 years in jail. This is already way way over the top as repression.
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Ha! (Score:3, Funny)
That's the exact same approach I take with Slashdot!
Of course (Score:3)
Wouldn't want Chinese people to hear about the massacre in Tiananmen Square or the concentration camps of the Uhyghrs or the kids stabbing and killing students. Because facts are dangerous in China.
Re: (Score:1)
Now talk about the USA.
Re: Of course (Score:1)
Re:Of course (Score:4, Informative)
China's response to Uyghur has been called a genocide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] This already the worst possible crime on the book . There is no need for executions for a genocide to occur; mass sterilizations and forced abortions were the means in use. I don't see the purpose of comparing with Israel. China's current reaction is evil in absolute on its own worth, not by comparison to any other situation past or present.
Re: (Score:2)
Whataboutism. I don't question your point of view on Israel/Gaza and I have not expressed mine. You're trying to distract from the main problem.
The repression of Uyghurs was already called a genocide already in 2021, two years previous to your argument "all we got was". Even if it is unclear if it fits with the definition of a genocide, the reaction of China is definitely evil.
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Re: (Score:2)
For historical comparison there's a reason that Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps whereas German-Americans were not.
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Yeah try starting a campaign in the US for an independent Republic of Texas, or Kingdom of Hawaii, and see how far you can go before you land in a camp or worse.
Force them to moderate, and enjoy the result (Score:2)
But remember P. J. O'Rourke: "Once you've built the big machinery of political power, remember you won't always be the one to run it."
Wholesome while it lasted (Score:2)
The whole episode was actually quite wholesome while it lasted, reminiscent of the pre-social, pre-walled-garden days of the Internet, when random strangers from around the globe interacted with each other on random topics in life, with much less hate and/or politics.
But you won’t hear any of it from the mainstream media, including Slashdot. Most westerners aren’t aware of the massive anti-China psyop led and funded by the US gov. It’s not exactly secret. Look up the $1.6 billion anti-chin
RedNote is actually quite good (Score:1)
RedNote is actually a pretty good social media app. I like it a lot more than Twitter/X/Threads/Bluesky/Mastodon etc. It's interesting to see the all-Mandarin content.
Interesting ... (Score:2)
"Americans signed up for the app because they "just don't want to give in" to "bullying" by the U.S. government." --> Yet, these Americans have no problems with bullying by the Chinese government (as the lady who posted about Tiananmen, Tibet, and Taiwan experienced).
"a trusted non-Chinese party such as Elon Musk" --> What does that say about American national security when a high-level government advisor is a "a trusted non-Chinese party"?