4 ms·

China government takedown request for GitHub repos

38 points by feross 5y ago

jmt_ 5y ago
I'm not in the loop - why is China concerned about speech synthesis software?
- mensetmanusman 5y ago
  Deepfakes of Xi launching an attack on Taiwan.
  - axiosgunnar 5y ago
    Can you elaborate?
amiga1200 5y ago
And GitHub actually complied with their requests. I don’t live in China, why am I subject to their laws? Any recommendations for alternative source repos?
- Pmop 5y ago
  Since almost everybody is bending their knees and complying to authoritarian requests, I think the safest options are self hosting and variations.
- KyeRussell 5y ago
  What’s your point? Anyone outside the US or even outside California is subject to laws outside of their jurisdiction all the time. Welcome to the Internet.
  - anothernewdude 5y ago
    Don't spread this nonsense.
    - lmz 5y ago
      What nonsense? GDPR also claims to be applicable worldwide if you serve EU nationals.
      - amiga1200 5y ago
        “… if you serve EU nationals”. Agreed. I am not a China national. Nonsense, yes?
        lmz 5y ago
        I am not an EU national either but I get to experience the cookie banners too. Is that also nonsense?
        phendrenad2 5y ago
        It actually is. I wish the US would put sanctions on the EU for all the man-hours wasted clicking those stupid things.
  - amiga1200 5y ago
    My point is not too hard to understand, stay with me here. I don’t live in China, therefore not subject to their laws. GitHub is not a China company, therefore not subject to their laws when serving non China users. I’m taking a stand to ensure that my rights are not trampled on by an irrelevant but dangerous dictatorship, therefore I am asking if anyone has knowledge of alternatives to GitHub, who seem to have some obligation to China.
- t0suj4 5y ago
  I guess you haven't read the Hong Kong national security law. Everyone is subject to the law!
  - amiga1200 5y ago
    Apologies, I don’t understand. Are you missing a /s for sarcasm? Why would anyone outside Hong Kong be subservient to their laws?
    - t0suj4 5y ago
      It's not sarcasm. Look it up.
buzzert 5y ago
This reminds me of the popular Shadowsocks program used to subvert the Great Firewall: https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks The developer just made the default branch empty with a message saying "Removed according to regulations." in the README. The master branch was left untouched though, pretty good troll.
hker 5y ago
Just sampled a repo on the list: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan I find it interesting that the Chinese government wants to take down such a repo, because it is very much harmless. Some observations: - The repo is still accessible, but the README.md was cleared at a commit [1] on 23 Jan 2021, one day after the take down request on 22 Jan 2021 (see its complete history [2]). - The repo appears to be a political message against Xi, as a markdown file (README.md [1]) and an image (xiyuyan.png [3]). - The repo invents a new programming language, 习语言 XI YU YAN (The Xi Language), whose example README.md is loaded with political messages [1]: WHILE-LOOP keyword is “re-elected”, as Xi is “re-elected” repeatedly; VARIABLE-DECLARATION keyword is “I-declare”; RETURN keyword is “going backward”, probably to before the reform and opening of China by Deng Xiaoping; and other political references (One Belt One Road, etc.). This is easily be protected by free speech in other countries. Regardless, the fact that the Chinese government thinks this need to be taken down speaks quite a lot of their insecurity. [1]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commit/d98c5fe3c01830ab2cf89b9fc89c6ce0ddc8f665 https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commit/d98c5fe3... "Commit to clear the README.md after the takedown request" [2]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commits/master/README.md https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commits/master/... "History of README.md" [3]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/blob/master/xiyuyan.png https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/blob/master/xiy... "Xi Yu Yan -- The Xi Language"
floatinglotus 5y ago
Winnie the Pooh strikes again.
prirun 5y ago
Every government in the world now seems to think they can control any company in the world. It's rather insane.
- amiga1200 5y ago
  I think it’s just dictatorships and dicwannabe governments. This list includes former democracies known as the US, UK and others (you know who you are)

38 points by feross 5y ago

jmt_ 5y ago

I'm not in the loop - why is China concerned about speech synthesis software?

mensetmanusman 5y ago
Deepfakes of Xi launching an attack on Taiwan.
- axiosgunnar 5y ago
  Can you elaborate?

amiga1200 5y ago

And GitHub actually complied with their requests. I don’t live in China, why am I subject to their laws? Any recommendations for alternative source repos?

Pmop 5y ago
Since almost everybody is bending their knees and complying to authoritarian requests, I think the safest options are self hosting and variations.
KyeRussell 5y ago
What’s your point? Anyone outside the US or even outside California is subject to laws outside of their jurisdiction all the time. Welcome to the Internet.
- anothernewdude 5y ago
  Don't spread this nonsense.
  - lmz 5y ago
    What nonsense? GDPR also claims to be applicable worldwide if you serve EU nationals.
    - amiga1200 5y ago
      “… if you serve EU nationals”. Agreed. I am not a China national. Nonsense, yes?
      - lmz 5y ago
        I am not an EU national either but I get to experience the cookie banners too. Is that also nonsense?
        phendrenad2 5y ago
        It actually is. I wish the US would put sanctions on the EU for all the man-hours wasted clicking those stupid things.
- amiga1200 5y ago
  My point is not too hard to understand, stay with me here. I don’t live in China, therefore not subject to their laws. GitHub is not a China company, therefore not subject to their laws when serving non China users. I’m taking a stand to ensure that my rights are not trampled on by an irrelevant but dangerous dictatorship, therefore I am asking if anyone has knowledge of alternatives to GitHub, who seem to have some obligation to China.
t0suj4 5y ago
I guess you haven't read the Hong Kong national security law. Everyone is subject to the law!
- amiga1200 5y ago
  Apologies, I don’t understand. Are you missing a /s for sarcasm? Why would anyone outside Hong Kong be subservient to their laws?
  - t0suj4 5y ago
    It's not sarcasm. Look it up.

buzzert 5y ago

This reminds me of the popular Shadowsocks program used to subvert the Great Firewall: https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks The developer just made the default branch empty with a message saying "Removed according to regulations." in the README. The master branch was left untouched though, pretty good troll.

hker 5y ago

Just sampled a repo on the list: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan I find it interesting that the Chinese government wants to take down such a repo, because it is very much harmless. Some observations: - The repo is still accessible, but the README.md was cleared at a commit [1] on 23 Jan 2021, one day after the take down request on 22 Jan 2021 (see its complete history [2]). - The repo appears to be a political message against Xi, as a markdown file (README.md [1]) and an image (xiyuyan.png [3]). - The repo invents a new programming language, 习语言 XI YU YAN (The Xi Language), whose example README.md is loaded with political messages [1]: WHILE-LOOP keyword is “re-elected”, as Xi is “re-elected” repeatedly; VARIABLE-DECLARATION keyword is “I-declare”; RETURN keyword is “going backward”, probably to before the reform and opening of China by Deng Xiaoping; and other political references (One Belt One Road, etc.). This is easily be protected by free speech in other countries. Regardless, the fact that the Chinese government thinks this need to be taken down speaks quite a lot of their insecurity. [1]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commit/d98c5fe3c01830ab2cf89b9fc89c6ce0ddc8f665 https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commit/d98c5fe3... "Commit to clear the README.md after the takedown request" [2]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commits/master/README.md https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/commits/master/... "History of README.md" [3]: https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/blob/master/xiyuyan.png https://github.com/xi-yu-yan-kai-fa/Xi-Yuyan/blob/master/xiy... "Xi Yu Yan -- The Xi Language"

floatinglotus 5y ago

Winnie the Pooh strikes again.

prirun 5y ago

Every government in the world now seems to think they can control any company in the world. It's rather insane.

amiga1200 5y ago
I think it’s just dictatorships and dicwannabe governments. This list includes former democracies known as the US, UK and others (you know who you are)