Title: The Disappearing Chinese Internet: A Loss of Collective Memory
In a country where Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are banned, Chinese people have long navigated their own unique online universe. They use euphemisms to discuss sensitive topics and accept censorship with resignation. However, they are now facing a new challenge – the disappearance of their internet history.
A recent post on WeChat revealed that a significant amount of information posted on Chinese news portals, blogs, and social media sites between 1995 and 2005 is no longer accessible. This loss of online content has sparked concerns about the shrinking Chinese internet and the erasure of collective memory.
A test conducted using China’s top search engine, Baidu, showed alarming results. Searches for prominent figures like Jack Ma, Pony Ma, and Liu Chuanzhi yielded limited or no results. Even searches for historical events like the Great Sichuan earthquake of 2008 led to sparse information, mostly from government-controlled sources.
The decline in the number of Chinese language websites is also concerning, with a 70% drop in the past decade. This trend is attributed to both technical challenges in archiving older content and political pressure to censor online platforms.
Many individuals have experienced the erasure of their online presence, with documentary filmmaker Nanfu Wang and journalist Chang Ping among those affected. The phenomenon of “grave digging,” where past online writings are scrutinized for political purposes, has further fueled concerns about online censorship.
Efforts to preserve Chinese internet history are underway, with projects like the China Unofficial Archives and Greatfire.org working to save censored content. However, the author of the viral WeChat post remains pessimistic about the possibility of reversing China’s erasure of history.
As the Chinese internet continues to evolve, the loss of online memories poses a significant challenge to the preservation of collective history. The disappearance of valuable information and the censorship of online platforms raise important questions about the impact on Chinese society and its understanding of the past.
