WeChat Profile Changes Banned, Delivery Services Disrupted
This post comes courtesy of our content partners at TechNode.
Beijing is likely to see bluer skies and quieter streets this week as the Communist Party’s 19th Congress commenced today, Oct 18. To ensure the twice-a-decade party reshuffle goes without a hitch, China has ordered security measures across a wide spectrum. Here’s a roundup of the latest policies that are sending shockwaves across China’s tech industry ahead of the key meeting.
Delivery Services
Beijing residents are reporting widespread interruptions in courier express services via China’s Twitter-like Weibo. Some packages are delayed, others completely suspended. A staff from SF Express, one of the country’s biggest express services, told TechNode that packages going to the capital from Henan and Hainan Provinces have already been suspended, and vice versa.
“Express services in Beijing are still operating, but it’s hard to say when your package will arrive because security check has tightened up. I suggest that you wait till the Congress ends to ship your parcel,” SF Express staff told us.
Delivery service companies have also stepped up in real-name registration following the closing of 30 delivery service points (in Chinese) that failed to carry out the policy. According to Postal Law of the People’s Republic of China and Counter-terrorism Law of the People’s Republic of China, express services adopted a real-name shipping registration system beginning Nov 1, 2015, to “realize traceability of shipment delivery.” Enforcement has been deliberately loose, however, for real-name validation increases costs and slows down efficiency for the service providers. Customers also feel reluctant to use their real names for privacy reasons.
Screenshot of JD.com’s package tracking: Delivery might be delayed between October 13-31 due to enforced security check recently, the highlighted red notice says
Social Media and Data Storage
On the eve of the Congress, WeChat stopped some users from changing their profile picture, alias, or status until the end of the month, citing maintenance. Weibo users are experiencing similar issues. The reports come a month after one politically-confused individual decided to change his profile picture of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden before writing "come join Isis with me," a joke that landed him nine months in jail.
The message displayed by WeChat when you attempt to change your name
A series of new strict rules over the Chinese cyberspace also went into effect in June. Group chat owners on Chinese messaging apps are now responsible for what is said in their group, and users on Weibo and Baidu’s discussion forum were given a final call to link their accounts to a real name.
WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned app that provides message encryption technology – not the most friendly to China’s Great Firewall – appeared to be widely disrupted inside mainland China ahead of the Congress. Some users report the app is unavailable even with a VPN. To ensure service runs seamlessly for Chinese users, a number of foreign tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, have set up China-based data centers following a new law in June requiring all companies to store user data in the country.
The new wave of cyberspace regulations dictates not only where data is stored but also what content is permissible. Both Weibo and search giant Baidu stepped up regulation of user-generated content. On Sep 27, Weibo put up a job posting to “openly seek one thousand Weibo inspectors”, and Baidu has invited cyber police across the country to help dispel bogus information.
Toutiao, the USD 22 billion-valued news aggregator who was slashed last month by the Communist Party’s official newspaper for creating an online echo chamber, introduced a section dedicated to coverage of the Congress.
Screenshot of a Toutiao page dedicated to the Congress
Small Aircraft
For security reasons, Beijing is banning the use of small aircraft including drones and fire balloons during the Congress, says a notice released by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. Parts and components of small aircrafts are restricted items for delivery to Beijing this week, according to SF Express.
Notice of small aircraft ban in Beijing during Party Congress
Hospitality
Airbnb, along with its Chinese short rental rivals including Xiaozhu.com, has shuttered listings in Beijing’s city center for the rest of October. Other hospitality services experienced restrictions three months ago when luxury hotel Waldorf Astoria suddenly halted its VPN services to its guests.
Other measures that are not publicly made related to the key meeting include the latest ban of cryptocurrencies. The crackdown, SCMP is reporting, is an attempt to rein in all financial volatility ahead of the meeting. The Chinese government might also soon have a stake in China’s tech giants, an unnamed source told Wall Street Journal recently.
Images: ChinaNews.com, WeChat, TechNode, Toutiao
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