A Survey by Shanghai University has raised questions after asking colleges to research the political stance and ‘state of mind’ of members of LGBTQI+ communities.
Students and activists have expressed concern that the information-gathering exercise could signal further targeting of students.
Some legal experts on Weibo are questioning whether it would violate China’s new data privacy law.
James Palmer, deputy editor of American news outlet Foreign Policy, says this is not about homophobic persecution, but about identifying and monitoring potential activists.