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THREAD with apologies to all well-meaning journalists saying banning #WeChat is a threat to free speech. I say it is the opposite. There are two reasons and a true story that you should look into. 1/
1. #WeChat has been exporting Communist censorship ever since it appears outside China. If you are trading with China, you use WeChat, because WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal are all banned. That's the race to the bottom, the most censored WeChat wins. https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/25/20976964/chinese-americans-censorship-wechat-hong-kong-elections-tiktok
2. There are evidence that #WeChat is using overseas data to train its mainland Chinese censorship engine. So not only are we not free outside of China, we help suppress dissent in China by using the app. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/wechat-surveillance-users-outside-china-1.5558503
Now a true story. My mainland friends in US and UK, liberal, freedom loving friends. They called me after the #HongKong District Council election (actually ping me on a non-WeChat messaging app no one calls anymore). They don't understand how the democrats won a landslide.
All they see on #WeChat is the burning and the damages. How can #Hongkongers tolerate this? What's wrong with #HongKong? I explained what happen, point them at Twitter, at YouTube, at Facebook. Give them the full picture of police brutality, the suspected triad collusion...
... the general disregard of the #HongKong government and what we were promised under the Basic Law on Wikipedia. They were long conversations and it was hard work on both sides. I was impressed with how long they stayed to essentially hear me wince.
Conclusion: They think we will lose against the Communist Party (which is not incorrect) but they understand and is sympathetic to our actions.
#WeChat and its censorship is a poison that prevents a common understanding. That's why banning it will help free speech. /end
#WeChat and its censorship is a poison that prevents a common understanding. That's why banning it will help free speech. /end
