One of China’s most popular social media apps started to censor messages about the coronavirus a week before officials acknowledged the virus, it has been revealed.
Toronto-based research group Citizen lab released a report yesterday, suggesting that WeChat started to block coronavirus-related content on January 1 and expanded the scope of censorship as the outbreak grew.
But it wasn’t until January 7 when the Chinese authorities announced they had identified a new virus.
One of China’s most popular social media app, Wechat, started to filter keywords about the coronavirus a week before the officials had acknowledged the virus, according to a new study
The picture shows an overview of the temporary hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus
A Chinese medical worker is pictured checking a patient infected by the novel coronavirus
The report also found the censored messages included criticism of the government, information deemed as rumours as well as references to the Chinese whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang.
Some example keyword combinations contained ‘Xi Jinping + Formalism + Epidemic prevention’ and ‘Local authorities + Epidemic + Central (government) + Cover-up’.
The Canadian team created multiple WeChat accounts and scripted group chats to test if any keywords were being filtered.
Researchers used one account to send messages with coronavirus-related content taken from news articles to test the censorship. The picture shows the scripted chats from Citizen Lab
One of the test accounts, registered under a Chinese mobile number, didn’t receive the messages as they contained the censored keywords. The illustration explains the process
Researchers used one account to send messages with coronavirus-related content taken from news articles.
One of the test accounts, registered under a Chinese mobile number, didn’t receive the messages as they contained the censored keywords.
A Chinese live-streaming site YY was also found to have added 45 coronavirus related words to its blacklist on December 31.
Citizen Lab released a report yesterday suggesting WeChat started to block coronavirus-related content on January 1 and expanded the scope of censorship as the outbreak grew
The health crisis in Shandong Province is up to 52 times worse than officials have admitted. The picture shows patients being treated in a temporary hospital in Wuhan, China
Medics are seen with protective clothing carrying a patient to a hospital in Wuhan, China
On the same day, China alerted the World Health Organisation to several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan. The virus was unknown at the time.
This came a day after Dr Li Wenliang tried to inform the public about the outbreak and was accused of spreading fake news.
On January 7, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that they had identified the virus as belonging to the coronavirus family, which includes SARS and the common cold. It was named 2019-nCoV.
It has remained unknown whether the censorship was an order sent down from the government to social media companies, according to Citizen Lab.
Li Wenliang, 34, succumbed to the deadly contagion in the early hours of February 7 local time, despite attempts to resuscitate him. The ophthalmologist caught the public’s attention after he was reprimanded by police and accused of spreading ‘fake news’ for warning on social media of ‘SARS at a Wuhan seafood market’. His hospital initially denied reports of his death
Mourners pay their respect to deceased Chinese doctor Li Wenliang during a vigil ceremony in Hong Kong on February 7. The public have accused Dr Li’s hospital of trying to cover up truth
But the study showed it could be the result of companies ‘over-censoring in order to avoid official reprimands’.
Hubei officials were also criticised for withholding information about the infection until the end of last year, despite knowing about the new illness weeks earlier.
Shandong Province in eastern China was also accused of covering up the true scale of its coronavirus outbreak by seriously under-reporting the number of its daily cases.
A report revealed the health crisis is up to 52 times worse than officials had admitted.
A Chinese medical worker is pictured checking a patient infected by the novel coronavirus
The coronavirus has killed at least 3,220 and infected over 94,100 people around the world, with the brunt of the cases in China.
More than 80 nations are now battling the contagion, with South Korea, Italy, Japan and Iran among the worst-affected.
Venice has been left deserted by the coronavirus outbreak with tourists abandoning the usually overcrowded streets and plazas over health fears.
Tehran announced total infections rose to 2,922 on Wednesday and it was said the country’s most senior VP, Eshaq Jahangiri, was the latest high-profile figure to contract the disease.
A woman is seen wearing a protective face mask while sitting on a London Underground train
More than 80 nations are now battling the contagion, with South Korea, Italy, Japan and Iran among the worst-affected. Italian soldiers are pictured patrolling in the streets of Milan
Meanwhile South Korea has today declared ‘war’ on the virus as president Moon Jae-in apologised for face mask shortages and ordered them to be stockpiled.
Confirmed cases in the UK rose to 51 and Boris Johnson unveiled his plan for dealing with the outbreak.
This morning Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said an epidemic in the UK is now likely.