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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.

The Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) reported on Friday that dozens journalists in Hong Kong have faced an extensive harassment campaign, which the association called the largest ever seen, across multiple online platforms including the Chinese language Wikipedia, although they did not disclose the exact number of affected journalists. In response, the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that hosts Wikipedia, issued global bans against six accounts believed to be involved in the harassment on September 11.

According to HKJA chairwoman Selina Cheng, a Wikipedia user repeatedly posted journalists' personal information using multiple accounts. Cheng said the HKJA provided evidence of the harassment to the Wikimedia Foundation, which then banned the accounts from the platform. While Cheng did not name the individual behind the attacks, she stated that the HKJA had ascertained their identity and reported them to the police.

The Wikimedia global account log shows that five accounts, namely User:Collect520, User:Japanodanobunaga, User:Benson101992, User:Yolander617, and User:Mtrstation, were banned on September 11. Two unnamed sources close to administrators of the Chinese Wikipedia told Wikinews that they believe these accounts were responsible for the harassment campaign. The contributions logs of these now-banned accounts show that several Wikipedia articles related to Hong Kong journalists were edited, including the articles on Bao Choy Yuk-ling, who was fined for her investigative reporting on the 2019 Yuen Long attack against pro-democracy protesters, and Ronson Chan Long-sing, the former HKJA chairman who has faced pressure from pro-Beijing groups. Articles on independent Hong Kong media outlets like Inmedia and The Witness were also targeted. The exact nature of the edits is unclear, as the records have been hidden from public view.

Another source at Chinese Wikipedia, who wished to remain anonymous, alleged that a long-time Wikipedia user named User:Flamelai likely controlled the banned sockpuppet accounts. User:Flamelai's account was hit with a rare "Foundation global ban" just minutes before the other five accounts were blocked. Such global bans are only used in exceptional circumstances to address serious misconduct, according to the Wikimedia Foundation.

With over 15 years of editing history, including a stint as an administrator on Chinese Wikipedia in 2006-2007, User:Flamelai had already been locally blocked on the English Wikipedia in 2023 for making legal threats against other administrators. The account was subsequently banned from Chinese Wikipedia as well for engaging in personal attacks, with archives showing them accusing others of being "Western dogs" and "Taiwanese Taliban" for perceived pro-Western or pro-Taiwan sentiments.

In a statement to the South China Morning Post, the Wikimedia Foundation confirmed it had received reports in late August of "alleged acts of trolling, doxxing, and intimidation" on Wikipedia targeting journalists and their families in Hong Kong. The foundation said it took prompt action to remove harmful content and issue global bans, and has initiated a further investigation into the matter.

This is not the first time the Wikimedia Foundation has taken action against users of the Chinese Wikipedia for misconduct. In 2021, amidst "credible threats" to the safety of Hong Kong-based Wikipedia users, the foundation globally banned seven accounts. Some of those banned users went on to establish Qiuwen Baike, an alternative Chinese-language online encyclopedia.

Qiuwen Baike claims to provide "an objective perspective based on China values" and aligns with official government stances on political topics related to China. Unlike Wikipedia, which is blocked in China, Qiuwen Baike's content passes Chinese censorship regulations, making it accessible in mainland China. 12

Maggie Dennis, a vice president at the Wikimedia Foundation, said the threats undermined the "very foundations of Wikipedia." She reaffirmed the foundation's commitment to supporting Chinese Wikipedians and ensuring they can contribute to the site in a "safe, secure, and productive" manner.

The HKJA's report and the subsequent actions by the Wikimedia Foundation highlight the mounting pressures and threats faced by journalists in Hong Kong, both online and offline, in the aftermath of the 2019-2020 protests and the imposition of the national security law. The incident also underscores the challenges of content moderation and user behavior on online platforms like Wikipedia, especially when they intersect with charged political contexts.


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Wikinews
 This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

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