Saturday is usually China’s worst day for internet censorship, but this year could be different

This Saturday, June 4, will be what some Chinese internet users have jokingly called “Internet Maintenance Day.” Over the years, it’s been a day when UGC-based websites go down for “server upgrades,” social media news and photos from Hong Kong disappears, and newspapers’ front pages seem even more sterile and boring than usual.

Seasoned China watchers and students of Chinese history know why, of course. For those that don’t, I’ve got to explain carefully, as it’s not my intention to put Tech in Asia under China’s Great Firewall banhammer. But suffice it to say that Saturday is the anniversary of something that China’s government doesn’t want citizens to discuss. Search Google images for June 4 and you’ll get a pretty good idea of the event to which I’m referring.

This year, though, Internet Maintenance Day might not be quite what you expect.

How many more websites, apps and circumvention tools are there to shut down?

“In years past we could predict some general internet disruptions in the lead up to June 4th but I think this year will pass relatively quietly,” said Greatfire.org’s Charlie Smith. That’s an assumed name, by the way – Greatfire.org is an organization dedicated to fighting Chinese internet censorship, so the folks behind it keep their real names secret to ensure they’re not subjected to any retribution from the Chinese government. He continued: “But [the reason this year will pass quietly is] not because the authorities are less heavy-handed.” Instead, it’s that there’s little freedom left to crack down on.

“How many more websites, apps and circumvention tools are there to shut down?” said Smith. “Just about everything interesting where you could find information about the events of June 4th has already been blocked. Many of the circumvention tools that Chinese can use to get around these restrictions are disrupted.”

Danwei founder and China internet expert Jeremy Goldkorn said virtually the same thing in a separate interview: “What else about June 4 can they censor that has not already been deleted from the Chinese internet, blocked, shut down, intimidated into silence or locked up?”

Image by TIA. Original server image: Wikimedia.

Indeed, if you go online in China this Saturday, though, there’s a good chance you won’t notice much of anything. The censorship battle is already over, and China’s government won. China’s user-generated content platforms these days are carefully monitored and censored. And although real-name registration still isn’t perfectly enforced, most users on popular platforms like WeChat have their account linked to their real identity, which means they’d be legally accountable for any “inappropriate” content they decided to post.

There’s also likely less that needs to be censored in the first place. In the early days of user-content-based services like Weibo, everybody wanted to talk, but at this point Chinese users with a point of view that differs from the governments have long since learned their opinions aren’t welcome. What’s the point in even bothering to post if you’ve seen year after year that your post gets deleted anyway (and maybe you get a visit from the local constabulary to boot)?

So yes, Saturday is Internet Maintenance Day, traditionally the day with the heaviest online censorship presence all year. But China’s censors may find themselves a bit bored this weekend. There are no worlds left to censor.