China Employs 2 Million Microblog Monitors, State Media Say

Blogs and social media sites are ideal for posting complaints, but China does not want discontent to spread. One group is assigned to monitor the trends in griping – the Chinese government employs more than 2 million as “internet opinion analysts,” to monitor internet posts and even delete problem posts, according to a report in Beijing News, as described by BBC News. The monitors struggle to keep up with critical posts and may even highlight what peeves authorities. “The Beijing News, while reporting the story of microblog monitors, has admitted that it is impossible for the government to delete all ‘undesirable" postings,’ reports BBC’s Dong Le. “The more postings deleted, the more they appear, it says.” China’s Sina Weibo microblogging site has more than 500 million registered users. One monitor described the job: conducting searches, using keywords supplied by supervisors and clients, then compiling analysis about the results on websites inside China and overseas. The monitors are trained how to handle a crisis, presumably a surge in online complaints. – YaleGlobal