Wikimedian blocked globally for 'trolling' Hong Kong journalists
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Sunday, September 15, 2024
Wikimedia Foundation issued a global ban against six accounts of a Wikipedia user on 11 September for “trolling” journalists in Hong Kong, China.
It came after the local press union highlighted the pressure faced by colleagues, in which they call the largest harassment campaign ever seen.
Selina Cheng, Hong Kong Journalist Association chairlady, said a user had repeatedly posted reporters' personal information using multiple accounts, and Wikimedia had banned their presence on the platform after HKJA provided evidence over the situation. Cheng did not name the user behind this online attack, but she said HKJA was "able to ascertain this user's identity" and had reported to the police.
The global account log at Wikimedia Meta-Wiki shows five accounts linked to the same user, namely User:Collect520, User:Japanodanobunaga, User:Benson101992, User:Yolander617, User:Mtrstation, were banned on 11 September.
Two unnamed sources close to administrators of the Chinese Wikipedia believed these five accounts are responsible for the trolling.
According to the contributions log of these accounts, several journalist-related articles were edited, such as Bao Choy Yuk-ling, who was fined for her investigative report into the 2019 Yuen Long attack against pro-democracy protests and passengers, and Ronson Chan Long-sing, former HKJA chairman who was under pressure from pro-China camp.
The Chinese article of Inmedia, seen as the last prominent opposition-friendly media, and The Witness, focusing on court news, were also affected.
What they wrote remains unclear as these records have been hidden.
Two drafts by those accounts that can still be publicly accessed were of a student activist, and of The Collective, an online media co-founded by Bao Choy, which listed out the journalists.
Another source at the Chinese Wikipedia who wish to remain anonymous said User:Flamelai very likely controlled these sockets.
The account was imposed with a “Foundation global ban” a few minutes before the group of five was blocked as well. The ban is an extremely rare order to address misconduct and violation which is only seen during exceptional circumstances, according to Wikimedia Foundation.
Currently prohibited from editing in all Wikimedia Foundation websites, User:Flamelai, who had more than 15 years of editing experiences and was an administrator on Chinese Wikipedia in 2006-2007, was blocked locally by English Wikipedia in 2023 for not building an encyclopaedia including making legal threats against administrators, and later found to have a sockpuppet that was blocked as well.
This was followed by a ban on Chinese Wikipedia for continuous personal attacks in the same year.
Archives found that User:Flamelai had accused others of “western dog”, a pejorative term for obeying the western world, and “Taiwanese Taliban” for heavily supporting the Democratic Progressive Party that denies annexation by China.
In response to an enquiry by the South China Morning Post, the leading Hong Kong English-language newspaper, Wikimedia Foundation confirmed reports were received in late August regarding “alleged acts of trolling, doxxing, and intimidation” on Wikipedia, and had taken action to remove harmful content while issuing a global ban.
The foundation said it had initiated a further investigation into the situation. They also expressed sadness and alarm over the harassment reportedly faced by several journalists and their families.
Wikimedia had last taken actions against Chinese Wikimedian in 2021 amidst "credible threats" to the safety of Wikipedia users, including those in Hong Kong. Seven accounts were globally banned as a result.
Those banned users established Qiuwen Baike, an alternative encyclopedia which favours standpoints by the Chinese government.
Maggie Dennis, Vice-president of the foundation, said they threatened the “very foundations of Wikipedia”, and reaffirmed to Chinese Wikimedians that they are committed to support them to volunteer in a “safe, secure, and productive” Wikipedia.
Sources
[edit]- Vivian Au. "Wikipedia bans user for ‘alleged trolling, doxxing and intimidation’ of Hong Kong journalists" — South China Morning Post, 2024-09-15
- "Hong Kong journalist group says dozens of journalists harassed" — The Standard, 2024-09-13
- Jessie Pang. "Hong Kong press group says dozens of journalists harassed" — Reuters, 2024-09-14
- "Statement: HKFP condemns harassment of Hong Kong’s independent press, reports intimidation of staff to police" — HKFP, 2024-09-13
- "記協指至少13傳媒機構 共數十記者及家人遭「系統性」滋擾 已就事件報警" — The Witness, 2024-09-13