Status: 02.12.2021, 4:42 p.m.
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The short message service Twitter has reportedly blocked around 3,500 accounts – most of them because they had spread propaganda by the Chinese leadership on dealing with the Uyghur minority in the country.
Twitter is increasingly taking action against users who spread state-related Chinese propaganda. As the US company announced, almost 3,500 accounts have currently been blocked – the representation of the Communist Party of China on dealing with the Muslim minority of the Uyghurs was distributed in well over half. More than 100 other blocked accounts were linked to a company supported by the regional government of Xinjiang Province, where the Uyghurs live.
According to human rights organizations and researchers, more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims are detained in hundreds of detention camps in Xinjiang. According to the activists, they are being forced to give up their religion, culture and language and in some cases they are also being mistreated. The Chinese government speaks of “educational centers” that serve to fight Islamist radicalization.
Accounts in six countries affected
In addition to China, the current blocking action also affected accounts in Mexico, Russia, Tanzania, Uganda and Venezuela. “In most cases, the accounts were shut down because of various violations of the rules of our platform against manipulation and spam,” said Twitter.
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