WeChat reportedly censors messages about Covid-19 even when they’re true

Citizen Lab researchers say Tencent’s popular messaging app filters hundreds of keywords about the epidemic in China. — SCMP

Early last month, some Chinese social media users had an inkling that their discussions about a spreading deadly pathogen were being censored.

Behind the Great Firewall, Internet users said they suddenly saw their WeChat accounts suspended for “spreading rumours”, if they were given a reason at all. Now a new report is giving us a glimpse into how China’s most popular messaging app might be blocking online chats about the new coronavirus epidemic.