Two days ago, Palmer Luckey reported on Twitter that Google (YouTube) is deleting his comments about a Chinese propaganda.
YouTube has deleted every comment I ever made about the Wumao (五毛), an internet propaganda division of the Chinese Communist Party. Who at Google decided to censor American comments on American videos hosted in America by an American platform that is already banned in China?
Palmer Luckey
Ninja Logic, another user, also replied that Google (YouTube) also deletes entire chat if you send certain words.
YouTube will also delete the ENTIRE chat replay from a livestream if a single person types the phrase 共匪, 五毛, or any of the other blacklisted terms critical of the CCP. Might be disruptive if people typed these phrases en masse in all the popular stream chats.
Might be disruptive if people typed these phrases en masse in all the popular stream chats.
Ninja Logic on Twitter
This is internet censorship. Lots of Hong Kong people are protesting against Chinese government because of discrimination and inequality and they are dependent on these services. Hong Kong people are fighting for justice and what Google is doing is helping Chinese government suppress these protests.
YouTube is one of the platforms for sharing videos and flow of information about protests and human rights and Chinese government is violating this right with the help of Google.
This is not acceptable. America claims to be the leader of free world and yet its corporations are violating human rights every day. Something should be done about this.
What’s the Solution?
This is just another reason for us to move towards software freedom. Free software protects people from this. By using free programs, you’ll be sure that your freedom and rights are respected and if any violation happens, you can simply make your own platform with your own rules.
Free software makes sure you have essential freedoms of regarding your computing, therefore it can be used to protect your freedom when you’re fighting, like Hong Kong people fight.
If you’re in touch with any Hong Kong protester, please let them know about free software alternatives such as Peertube. It’ll help them talk freely.