The Chinese government has been pursuing a zero tolerance policy for pornography for years. Even hinting at vaguely sexual behavior like eating a banana in front of a webcam can lead to sanctions. Now the pressure is being increased again. From now on, the authorities will pay 120,000 dollars for information that leads to the capture of porn producers.
China is known to be very strict when it comes to pornographic content. On December 1, the aggressive authorities increased the reward for snitching on porn producers. And they raised it steeply: from 86,000 to 120,000 dollars. It doesn’t matter whether the porn is distributed online or in traditional analog form. Citizens providing information that could help catch clandestine porn crews can collect that large sum. An immense incentive for petty-bourgeois surveillance of fellow citizens, especially in a country where an average worker earns only $11,000 a year.
Strict action against pornography of any kind
The increase of the bounty might be a sign that China will take even stronger action against pornography in the months to come.
The US magazine Vice ironically notes that the incentive to find hidden porn producers is perhaps a bit too lavish. A number of people on China’s social media are announcing that instead of going to work they are instead trying to hunt down porn producers. One user writes sarcastically: »If I can earn money by snooping, why should I work myself to death?«
Methods of a totalitarian state, arbitrary standards
become even more difficult and dangerous than before. After all, it is far less clear in China at what point content is considered pornographic or obscene. If citizens are further encouraged to snitch on others, there can very easily be financially motivated false accusations against unpleasant social media stars. The danger of abuse anyhow is enormous. The Guardian recently reported on a woman sentenced to 10 years for writing a homoerotic novel.
Even sharing pictures and gifs through social media could possibly lead to imprisonment. So China continues to take a course against sexual freedom, freedom of expression and individual self-determination.