When China Censors… for the People
I’ve recently been a little sick. That has meant I’ve found it difficult to keep myself from being sucked into an Internet void of my own curated bias.
That plus it’s been Black Friday and it’s difficult to avoid the ads when my browsing history screams “easy target”.
This is why there is a clamor for an Internet where shady e-commerce tricks, scams and echo chambers are banned. Nothing wrong with that, but those actually implementing the utopia may surprise you. It’s China.
I know, I know
China as a country is best known for its heavy-handed censorship. It’s China that bans Winnie the Pooh memes that is working to remove Internet practices that have made Big Tech unbearable.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently announced new regulations to curb “information cocoons” (also known as echo chambers), targeting recommendation algorithms and banning platforms from serving up “highly homogeneous content”.
Don’t panic, the world hasn’t completely changed. Dissent against the Communist Party isn’t suddenly going to be allowed. Dis the government, and it’ll go from anti-algorithmic Robin Hood to full-on Big Brother in a heartbeat. Discussions? Deleted. Dissenters? Disappeared.
So, be careful what you wish for.
Algorithms Behaving Badly
One of the CAC’s targets is algorithms used to overcharge consumers. Ever noticed prices fluctuating based on who you are, where you shop, or what kind of day you’re having? That’s discriminatory pricing at work. The CAC has mandated an end to this nonsense, with coupons, prices, and discounts now requiring transparency.
This could signal a significant shift for e-commerce. Imagine a world where Amazon doesn’t game the market with shady practices — it looks like you need to move to Chengdu to live that type of utopia.
The Algorithm Accountability Era?
For years, companies like ByteDance and Alibaba have enjoyed tremendous growth in China. They’ve used algorithms to take advantage of customers. Now in China, they’re looking at transparency around how the algorithms work — Imagine TikTok telling you how it decided you’d want to watch 37 straight minutes of cat parkour. Revolutionary, and fair!
Algorithms shape public opinion, and Beijing knows that better than anyone. By regulating what users see, they’re not just reining in Big Tech — they’re solidifying their own grip on what the Chinese internet looks like. Like everything in tech, this is a double-edged sword.
A Paradox in the Making
It’s wild that these steps represent some genuinely positive changes to the tech landscape in China. The idea of controlling algorithmic abuses sounds appealing, especially when Big Tech in the West seems unable — or unwilling — to regulate itself. But is this the model we should envy?
These same rules could also stifle creativity, suppress debate, and turn the internet into a sanitized playground of government-approved content. The tech overlords suck, but there is a trade-off in giving so much power to the government and care should be taken to consider for the consequences of doing so. You probably don’t want to live in China if you have one of a range of “opinions”, and you wouldn’t like the punishments for expressing those “opinions” in public.
A Glimpse of the Future?
If you squint hard enough, China’s approach could be a harbinger of what happens when governments take an active role in taming tech giants. The question is, can the rest of the world borrow the good bits (transparency, fairness) without veering into dystopia?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust Big Tech or governments around the world. It’s a case of pick your poison.
Conclusion
Why does it take an authoritarian regime to make Big Tech play fair?
How did it end up this way?
Where is it all going to go?