The WeChat account of one of Australia’s most popular Chinese online communities has been banned by the Chinese government despite the site’s ‘strict self censorship’, as experts say China’s crackdown on social media has raised concerns for media outlets in Australia.
The founder of the online network, Our Steps, said it has a zero-tolerance policy on any topic associated with the banned Falun Gong movement, personal attacks, racial discrimination, ethnic divisions, pornography, superstition, pyramid selling and all illegal actions.
But the account was closed with no reason given, and many other foreign posts and accounts have similarly been blocked without a clear reason.