logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
15m 48s

The secret life of Chinese social media ...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Canada has banned the all-in-one Chinese social media app, WeChat, on government devices. Even though TikTok has received loads of attention for potential security risks, many security experts think that WeChat is riskier. James Clayton, our North America Tech Reporter, explains.

And Kerry Allen, our China Media Analyst, takes us through how tightly controlled social media is in China itself. There’s even secret emoji code to avoid censorship.

(10:45) Also, what was Gaza like before this latest escalation with Israel? The BBC’s James Reynolds was previously a correspondent in Jerusalem and spent a lot of time in Gaza. He paints us a picture of what it was like when he was there.

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Up next
Yesterday
Dead white people’s clothes: How Ghana is dealing with its textile waste crisis
Ghana has been described as the fashion industry’s dumping ground. Around 15 million second-hand garments arrive every week, making Ghana the world’s largest importer of used clothing. Many of the garments are re-sold and re-purposed at Kantamanto Market in the capital Accra. But ... Show More
14m 7s
Aug 22
ID please! Why the UK is checking your age online
In the UK, if you want to watch pornography or see content on sites like X, Reddit and Discord that is deemed only suitable for people over 18 years old, you now need to provide your identification to prove you are old enough to access this material. The UK government says its On ... Show More
11m 33s
Aug 21
Why fake weddings are India’s latest party trend
The big fat 'fake' Indian wedding is social media’s latest party trend. Fake wedding parties have taken the world and social media by storm with people getting together to enjoy all the fun of a wedding party: the food, Bollywood music, dancing and glamorous outfits. But there ar ... Show More
10m 5s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2019
Understanding TikTok: From viral teen videos to Chinese political censorship
This week, TikTok was in the news for pulling a video critical of China's mass detention of Uighurs. Most of the popular Chinese-owned social media app's users are children and teens who share lip-syncing videos, dance crazes and comedy skits. But in today's episode, Alex Hern, t ... Show More
23m 58s
May 2022
Mass testing and lockdowns: Inside China’s ‘zero COVID’ policy
While the rest of the world is trying to manage how to live with the coronavirus, China continues with its ‘zero COVID’ policy, forcing people into strict lockdowns. But why is the country keeping itself isolated from the world, and how are people there reacting to the measures? ... Show More
22m 34s
Oct 2023
Censorship and disinformation: The online war on Gaza
Social media has been one of the very few available ways for Palestinians to tell their stories, first hand, under the Israeli occupation. But, censorship and account suspensions threaten that venue. As the war on Gaza escalates, social media companies have tightened their grip f ... Show More
22m 2s
Mar 2023
China’s Iran Deal
Tommy and Ben talk about China brokering a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Saudi Arabia’s wish list to “normalize” relations with Israel, protests of Netanyahu’s changes to Israel’s judicial system, the BBC, soccer and free speech, new reports about who sabotaged the Nord Ste ... Show More
1h 18m
Oct 2023
With communications cut off, Gaza goes dark
It was after 7pm local time in Gaza on Friday when we heard that most people there lost contact with the world. Internet and phone services went down as bombardment intensified. Then, Israel's military said it was “expanding” ground operations. Despite the internet blackout, Al J ... Show More
12m 34s
Apr 2024
Israel Hits Back at Iran With Overnight Strikes
A.M. Edition for April 19. WSJ correspondent Dov Lieber explains what’s known about Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Iran, which appear to have been narrow in scope to avoid further escalation. Plus, Apple yanks popular messaging applications like WhatsApp and Threads from its Chi ... Show More
13m 49s
Aug 2020
Ep. 163: The Latest TikTok Craze Is National Security
President Trump has declared the popular social media platform TikTok a risk to U.S. national security, citing its ties to China. The administration is now pursuing a number of legal options to address that threat, ranging from an outright ban of the app to a forced sale to a U.S ... Show More
41m 26s
Feb 2021
The ‘Facebook revolutions’ that weren’t
Social media was how many of us consumed the 2011 Arab uprisings. Technology was putting power in the hands of the people. To use social media in 2021, especially in the Middle East, is to navigate a maze of internet laws, surveillance, censorship, fake news, and bots. With Faceb ... Show More
18m 14s
Nov 2022
China's Lockdown Protests
Thousands take to the streets in China to protest against Xi Jinping’s Covid lockdown restrictions. Adam is joined by John Simpson, the BBC’s world affairs editor and Kerry Allen, the BBC’s China media analyst to discuss what’s happening, what it’s like to be arrested as a journa ... Show More
31m 35s
Mar 2024
Is the New York Times losing its credibility on Israel-Palestine? | The Listening Post
In December 2023, The New York Times published an explosive article - now widely discredited - that detailed Hamas’s agenda to weaponise rape and sexual violence on October 7. We reveal the controversies surrounding the article along with the broader issue of Western media outlet ... Show More
25m 19s