Automatic Deletes for Chinese Communist Party: CNBC

Social media platforms are highly automated, and when errors occur, fixes can take months – unless a high-profile user complains. For months, YouTube’s automated comment filters were set to delete comments containing Chinese phrases, “communist bandit” and “50-cent party” – phrases mostly linked to criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, though the platform deleted positive comments using those phrases, too. “The first phrase is a derogatory term for Chinese communists, while the second is a term given to internet users who are paid to manipulate public opinion on the Community Party,” reports Sam Shead for CNBC. Users pointed to the problem on YouTube’s official help pages in October 2019. Months later, the founder of Oculus raised the issue on Twitter. US Senator Ted Cruz took notice and criticized censorship, urging the US Department of Justice to take action. Internet users in China may not have noticed because the country blocks YouTube for users not relying on virtual private networks. – YaleGlobal