Recently, the topic “#Hu Chenfeng Banned” has been trending on social media in mainland China, sparking widespread attention. Hu Chenfeng, a popular internet celebrity with millions of followers on platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili, has had his accounts suspended and live streaming functions disabled, indicating that he may have been completely banned. Not long ago, he publicly stated that domestic Android phones would become obsolete.
Hu Chenfeng is verified as an “original video blogger” on Weibo, with 226,000 followers. Although his account does not explicitly state “banned,” the content has stopped updating, and the live streaming function has been disabled. His latest post was on September 15.
His Douyin and Bilibili accounts, each with millions of followers, also have not been updated since early September.
After the Apple event on September 10, Hu Chenfeng made remarks about the decline of Android and predicted that the upcoming iPhone 17 would dominate the high-end market.
Hu Chenfeng quickly gained popularity online with the dichotomy of “Apple people” and “Android people.” As a staunch supporter of Apple products, he has long equated users of Android phones with being “lower class” and “low income,” even comparing “vocational students” to “Android education,” denying the “technological breakthroughs” of domestic phones, and believing that Android manufacturers should give up the high-end market above 2500 yuan.
During live streams, he has expressed controversial opinions such as “cities without Sam’s Club are not livable,” openly questioned the technology of domestic new energy vehicles, and advocated for Toyota as the preferred choice for fuel cars and Tesla for electric cars.
Despite the controversial nature of Hu Chenfeng’s remarks, news of his ban has sparked widespread discussions online. Some netizens have expressed support for his right to freedom of speech, believing that “banning accounts is treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.”
Blogger “Dog Brother” with 276,000 followers commented on Hu Chenfeng’s ban. He said that Hu Chenfeng’s attitudes on certain topics reflect his worldview and values. While Hu Chenfeng may not completely avoid discussing Chinese politics, as an internet celebrity under the surveillance of the Chinese Communist Party, he naturally avoids topics related to Chinese politics. However, he consciously skirts around some “gray areas,” helping Chinese internet users within the Great Firewall to have a more rational understanding of the real world.
“Dog Brother” pointed out that Apple phones sold in mainland China have also had certain features castrated by the Chinese government. Even with these limitations, the security of Apple phones is better than all Chinese-brand Android phones. Therefore, he agrees with some of Hu Chenfeng’s viewpoints.
He remarked that in the current environment of “Cultural Revolution 2.0” in mainland China, Hu Chenfeng’s outspoken style appears distinctive and has garnered support from some people. However, he believes that if Hu Chenfeng does not change this style and continues to provoke the “little pinks” and “wolf warriors,” being completely banned by the Chinese Communist Party is an inevitable outcome.
“Dog Brother” lamented that in mainland China, once a person accumulates enough influence, they will inevitably face suppression and censorship from the Chinese Communist Party. Under the CCP’s surveillance, everyone is at risk, and even the largest internet celebrities cannot stand up against this “biggest black society.”
The ban on Hu Chenfeng has prompted a deep reflection on the red lines of online speech in China. Similar incidents of “running aground” are not uncommon in mainland China.
In mid-April last year, during a live stream, Hu Chenfeng was asked by a viewer, “Do you think Xi Jinping is a dictator?”
After an intense response from Hu Chenfeng, the account was still banned. His Weibo account was also restricted, and discussions about the incident were censored.
On March 28, founder of New Oriental Group, Yu Minhong, was invited to visit a Geely Auto factory. During the live interview with Geely’s chairman Li Shufu, sensitive topics to the Chinese Communist Party, such as “June 4th,” were mentioned several times, resulting in a temporary ban on the live stream.
On June 3, 2022, the day before the “June 4th” anniversary, well-known mainland e-commerce anchor Li Jiaqi presented a seemingly “tank”-shaped ice cream cake during a live stream, leading to an immediate interruption of the broadcast.