China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of government policies related to Covid-19 as the country moves towards further opening up.
Weibo said it had recorded 12,854 usage rule violations, targeting experts, academics and medical workers, and the platform issued temporary or permanent bans on 1,120 accounts.
The Communist Party, which does not allow direct criticism and places restrictions on free speech, had relied heavily on the medical community to justify lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing, which it abruptly abandoned last month, sparking an outbreak. that pushes medical resources to the limit.
The company will “continue to increase the investigation and cleanup of all kinds of illegal content, and create a harmonious and friendly community environment for the majority of users,” Weibo said in a statement dated Thursday.
China is now facing a surge of cases and hospitalizations in major cities and is bracing for further spread in less-developed areas, with the start of Lunar New Year travel expected to begin in the coming days.
While international flights are still down, officials say they expect domestic rail and air travel to double compared to the same period last year, approaching pre-pandemic numbers.
Source: TSF
