China Suspends Social Media Accounts Of The Critics Of Its Covid-19 Policy

As China moves to relax its coronavirus restrictions, the country has now suspended social media accounts of over 1,000 critics of the government's Covid-19 policies, according to a report in the BBC. Weibo, a social media platform, said it had banned accounts for what it called personal attacks on Chinese Covid specialists. However, the posts which triggered the action have not specified. 

Weibo reported nearly 13,000 violations, including attacks on experts, scholars, and medical personnel. 1,120 accounts have received temporary or permanent bans, the BBC further states. "It is not acceptable to hurl insults at people who hold a different point of view, or publish personal attacks and views that incite conflicts," Weibo said in a statement. The company continued, "Any kind of move that is destructive to the (Weibo) community would be handled in a serious manner."

Protests erupted in China against the government and its zero-Covid policy in November 2022 and authorities moved to censor online content on the demonstrations. Until recently, most online criticism centered on the strict enforcement of strict Covid-19 regulations like lockdowns that required people to stay at home in isolation for weeks. BBC says that the recent posts have targeted experts who have defended the abrupt decision to lift restrictions after previously supporting them.

After the Chinese government began dismantling the world's strictest regime of lockdowns and extensive testing last month, pressure mounted on Chinese hospitals and funeral homes last week as there was a sudden increase in virus-related deaths.

It is also to be noted that while the country struggles with a rise of Covid cases, the Chinese government led by President Xi Jinping has lifted the quarantine restrictions for incoming travellers, putting an end to nearly three years of self-imposed isolation.