In China, being retweeted 500 times can get you three years in prison
41 replies, posted
[QUOTE]Details of a new law issued by China’s supreme court are bound to make loose talkers on Sina Weibo and other social media platforms think twice before speaking freely. The law says that any libelous posts or messages will be considered “[URL="https://twitter.com/gadyepstein/status/377080947994148864"]severe[/URL]” [URL="https://twitter.com/gadyepstein/status/377080947994148864"]breaches of the law[/URL] if they are visited or clicked on more than 5,000 times or forwarded (or “retweeted,” in Western parlance) more than 500 times. Those found guilty could face up to [URL="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/09/us-china-internet-idUSBRE9880CQ20130909?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews"]three years in jail[/URL], reports Reuters, citing Chinese state media.
As if that weren’t alarming enough, the threshold for being charged with this crime includes offenses as vague and subjective as “damaging the national image” and “causing adverse international effects.”
[B]The law is the latest attempt to crack down on “black PR firms,” companies that make money from [URL="http://www.techinasia.com/caixin-posts-shocking-expose-chinas-black-pr-industry-story-quickly-deleted-web/"]removing unflattering information[/URL] from the internet.[/B] Among other things, black PR firms often target companies, spreading gossip or misinformation about them, and then approaching them for payment in exchange for removing the smear campaign. It’s a big business; as TechinAsia pointed out recently, the Sina Weibo accounts controlled by a huge black PR firm that was just busted had a [URL="http://www.techinasia.com/chinese-black-pr-firm-controlled-hundreds-verified-weibo-users-raked-millions/"]total audience of 220 million followers[/URL].
As Caixin reports, since the campaign against “rumor-mongering” and “spreading false information” picked up in June, Shanghai police have opened more than 380 cases, while Henan police have investigated a whopping 463 cases, [URL="http://english.caixin.com/2013-08-29/100575352.html"]making 131 arrests[/URL]. And it’s not just Sina Weibo; TechinAsia reports that [URL="http://www.techinasia.com/spreading-rumors-wechat-crime-chinese-internet-police/"]police are also watching Tencent’s WeChat[/URL], which is organized mainly around private circles of friends. [/QUOTE]
[url]http://qz.com/122450/in-china-500-retweets-of-a-libelous-statement-can-get-you-three-years-in-prison/[/url]
This makes sense, I've seen a huge splurge of people on my facebook sharing "news stories" that are downright lies. Nobody bothers to crosscheck anything, and they end up giving the companies horrible reputations.
[QUOTE=breakyourfac;42135423]
This makes sense, I've seen a huge splurge of people on my facebook sharing "news stories" that are downright lies. Nobody bothers to crosscheck anything, and they end up giving the companies horrible reputations.[/QUOTE]
it doesn't matter - people shouldn't be given jail time for saying shit on the internet
[QUOTE=Generic Monk;42135568]it doesn't matter - people shouldn't be given jail time for saying shit on the internet[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts.
LOL jk
you really think 3 years of jailtime for retweets is ok
wow
Misleading title, you didn't mention the slander.
[QUOTE=Generic Monk;42135568]it doesn't matter - people shouldn't be given jail time for saying shit on the internet[/QUOTE]
depends on what they're saying
[QUOTE=breakyourfac;42135423][url]http://qz.com/122450/in-china-500-retweets-of-a-libelous-statement-can-get-you-three-years-in-prison/[/url]
This makes sense, I've seen a huge splurge of people on my facebook sharing "news stories" that are downright lies. Nobody bothers to crosscheck anything, and they end up giving the companies horrible reputations.[/QUOTE]
This is just cracking down on what little free speech they had. Oh man I showed a link, now I'm in fucking prison.
lyk dis if u think faecpunch suks xD
This is actually a huge deal. China, unlike the West, has a very controlled media. Weibo is the Chinese equivalent to Twitter with the top people having 400+ million followers. They are almost literally the news outlets of the country for the average person.
like jesus christ china, 'rumor mongering'?
[QUOTE=D3TBS;42135654]lyk dis if u think faecpunch suks xD[/QUOTE]
repoted
[QUOTE=Shadaez;42135648]depends on what they're saying[/QUOTE]
Such as?
It's understandable.
[QUOTE=Generic Monk;42135568]it doesn't matter - people shouldn't be given jail time for saying shit on the internet[/QUOTE]
Depends on your impact on people's perception. The internet is potentially no different than other media channels.
Is there ways we can exploit this? Say retweet politician's stuff? Could we potentially make their own system fall in on itself?
[QUOTE=lintz;42135647]Misleading title, you didn't mention the slander.[/QUOTE]
That hardly justifies it.
[QUOTE=Pyth;42135628]Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts.
LOL jk[/QUOTE]
wow you're fucking unstable
[QUOTE=Pyth;42135628]Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts.
LOL jk[/QUOTE]
Even for that, you shouldn't be jailed for.Concerned? Yes. Contact the authorities and warn them that an IP address in their jurisdiction is saying this, yeah. Sentencing to prison? No way.
[editline]9th September 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Generic Monk;42138838]wow you're fucking unstable[/QUOTE]
He's referring to someone who said that earlier.
That's like getting 500 dumb ratings on facepunch and getting perma'd.
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;42138944]That's like getting 500 dumb ratings on facepunch and getting perma'd.[/QUOTE]
more like mods coming to your house and executing you.
I don't think three years of hard jail is the way to go but the idea that publicly lying should be illegal is one I really support.
Sounds reasonable.
To be fair, this is China. Simply existing can get you jailed in that country if the party feels like it.
[QUOTE=Pyth;42135628]Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts.
LOL jk[/QUOTE]
How does nobody know what you're referring to
[QUOTE=Venezuelan;42139670]How does nobody know what you're referring to[/QUOTE]
Because at the end of the day, it was not a very important story.
The article implies it was created to crack down on companies that make their money by launching smear campaigns via social media, and force other companies to pay a bribe for them to stop. Sounds like some mafia type business.
[QUOTE=Generic Monk;42135568]it doesn't matter - people shouldn't be given jail time for saying shit on the internet[/QUOTE]
not so simple when it comes to slander. i mean, when DO slander laws apply? is it the medium that defines if it's slander or not?
[QUOTE=Melkor;42138180]Such as?[/QUOTE]
Death threats would be a good start. Just because it's the Internet doesn't mean there are no consequences to what you say.
Its probably a good idea for many countries to do this (or downright ban these services or come up with their own (vk)), considering the some countries want to control public opinion via them.
[URL="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks"]US spy operation that manipulates social media[/URL]
[quote]The project has been likened by web experts to China's attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet. Critics are likely to complain that it will allow the US military to create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives.
The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities – known to users of social media as "sock puppets" – could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same.
The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".
He said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to "address US audiences" with such technology, and any English-language use of social media by Centcom was always clearly attributed. The languages in which the interventions are conducted include Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.[/quote]
why they can't retweet the retweet?
hit me if i'm stupid
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