Douban, a forum-like platform resembling Reddit that allows users to discuss film, books, music, and recent events, will be directly supervised by the government because it is allegedly in a state of “chaos” and needs to be “supervised.”
In recent years, users have taken to the platform to express opinions the communist regime would not appreciate. For instance, users have not shied away from criticizing works they consider to be an extreme expression of patriotism.
The government responded by temporarily banning the app in December. The company was also fined for allegedly leaking user data.
Earlier this week, the internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), announced that its governing body, the State Internet Information Office would send a “work supervision team” to Douban’s offices because the platform was in a state of “chaos.”
Sending the so-called “work supervision team” could be considered extreme interference in the affairs of a company. Still, it is not surprising considering how China has doubled down on censoring more of the internet in the last year.
