The latest report from the Open Technology Fund reveals that from 2015 to 2022, China has added 1.73 million internet censors. Particularly, the severe punitive measures by the Chinese Communist Party have led to private companies hiring a large number of individuals for content review. Experts point out that Xi Jinping’s sense of insecurity about his regime has driven the extensive censorship on the internet, with the Chinese people bearing the cost.
On March 16, the Open Technology Fund released a research report titled “The Silent Industry: China’s Expanding Market for Artificial Review,” indicating that the latest study shows the Chinese Communist Party’s internet censorship system has evolved into a vast and complex industry. The CCP not only uses advanced automated technology for censorship but also relies heavily on manpower. Given that the CCP criminalizes political expression, private companies in China are required to exercise information control.
The report attributes this trend to the establishment of the Cyberspace Administration of China in 2014, leading to increasingly stringent internet regulations by the authorities. Businesses are now obligated to take greater responsibility for the content on their platforms, resulting in a substantial increase in investments in information control.
From 2015 to 2022, Chinese companies across various industries have posted over 1.73 million job ads related to content review, covering different levels of review responsibilities. The widespread use of social media platforms, particularly video platforms, has skyrocketed the demand for reviewers, shifting the role from part-time to full-time professional positions.
Assistant Researcher Wang Xiuwen from the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security mentioned in an interview with the media that the CCP has turned internet censorship into an industry for the sake of stability and political security, possibly setting a precedent globally and “far ahead” of other authoritarian or non-authoritarian countries.
Researcher Shen Mingshi from the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security stated that 1.73 million people is a considerable number, but not all might be full-time professionals; some could be part-time employees, students, or individuals from different government departments such as the military, party offices, government departments, or local government branches.
According to him, the report underscores the significant external interest in issues related to Chinese internet censorship or cybersecurity policies. Xi Jinping and the CCP regime are extremely concerned about any potential foreign influences or events on the internet that could threaten or impact China’s security.
Shen Mingshi noted, “Driven by this sense of insecurity, Xi Jinping hopes to have a substantial number of internet censors. The role of these censors is to control all information unfavorable to China (the CCP).” Any criticism directed at Xi Jinping or “highly negative” comments quickly get deleted in mainland China. What used to be immediate deletion and warnings in the past may now lead to more severe actions upon gathering relevant evidence against such individuals.
The report from the Open Technology Fund cited several instances where erroneous content moderation led companies into crises. For example, in 2016, the official media outlet in Xinjiang, “Boundaryless News,” was shut down after publishing an article calling for Xi Jinping’s resignation, resulting in the arrest of over ten employees and the company’s closure.
In June 2017, the Beijing-based bike-sharing company “Xiao Lan Bike” faced investigations by authorities after launching a campaign with the slogan “Bikes and Tanks Go Better Together,” touching on sensitive topics to the CCP, which subsequently hindered the company’s future funding.
Shen Mingshi emphasized that the CCP’s expansion of internet censorship is a measure to maintain its regime, where “the CCP’s emphasized overall security mainly focuses on political security, with the long-term rule of the Chinese Communist Party as the top priority.” He further illustrated, “Even if such ruling sacrifices the lives of some people, it is not hesitated upon to uphold the regime.”
The American research report categorized participants in China’s censorship market into four groups. Traditional content companies such as news and social media firms are the main clients for censorship labor. Emerging firms like e-commerce and marketing teams often engage in part-time censorship tasks. There are also large-scale outsourcing human resource companies and state-owned media agencies in China that primarily offer censorship training services.
Wang Xiuwen mentioned, “I think the CCP aims to instill fear in the people, as they never know when the state apparatus might cause trouble for them, leading to compliance in daily life.”
Shen Mingshi highlighted that amid economic downturns, the significant number of military personnel, government officials, and CCP affiliates become a burden for private enterprises to cooperate with government surveillance, underlining the non-guaranteed effectiveness of large-scale internet censorship. He expressed, “People, when oppressed and constrained in various ways, if they find a breaking point or an outlet for their grievances, or if any significant events are triggered, it could be a spark that ignites a wildfire and have a substantial impact on the CCP regime.”
Furthermore, he believes that if these internet censors were to “betray” the CCP, it could potentially have a significant influence on the party’s rule.