A university professor in New Zealand claims her Twitter account was temporarily restricted after she criticized the Chinese government and its president, Xi Jinping.
“Seems like @Twitter may have briefly forgotten they don’t work for Xi Jinping,” University of Canterbury professor Anne-Marie Brady tweeted after access to her account was restored Monday.
Brady, an expert on China, has been a vocal critic of the country’s Communist Party and claims a critical pair of tweets she sent last week was enough to initiate a social media ban. The tweets were marked “unavailable” over the weekend, and her account was subsequently restricted, Brady shared in a series of tweets.
After those tweets were made “unavailable”, my account was then restricted. Thanks @edwardlucas for raising this with @Twitter, as I got no reply to my messages to them pic.twitter.com/YWBlvUBA0B
— Professor Anne-Marie Brady (@Anne_MarieBrady) July 4, 2021
Brady said the platform welcomed her back after the suspension.
“Opening my work laptop this morning I was greeted by a ‘Welcome back’ message on my screen from @Twitter, as if I was the one who left them,” she tweeted with a screenshot of the message.
Brady also shared a photo of the tweets that she said initially prompted the ban.
“Xi: its my Party and I’ll cry if I want to,” she wrote in one of the tweets, suggesting an alternative headline for a news article about the Chinese Community Party’s 100th anniversary.
Here are the two tweets which were made “unavailable” and led to my account being suspended. Seems one must never make fun of the Dear Leader.https://t.co/b4EB2HADxJ
— Professor Anne-Marie Brady (@Anne_MarieBrady) July 4, 2021
Edward Lucas, a columnist for The Times, defended Brady in an article titled, “Twitter must not buckle to Beijing’s pressure.”
“The internet was meant to be our big liberator but China is turning it into the great oppressor,” the subtitle reads.
“After I had stoked a furor on Twitter and sent umpteen complaints, her account was restored,” Lucas wrote. “Less prominent victims of Chinese censorship would have scantier chances of redress.”
Some of the biggest names in social media, from @Twitter to @LinkedIn @Zoom & @Facebook, appear to be getting into a habit of silencing CCP critics. Yesterday it was my turn to be censored. Thanks for your support in getting it overturned @edwardlucas https://t.co/1V0L2qdPa3
— Professor Anne-Marie Brady (@Anne_MarieBrady) July 5, 2021
In the article, Lucas said Twitter did not explain its reason for the suspension.
“Brady received only an automated warning that she may have ‘violated’ the social media platform’s rules,” he wrote.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Twitter must not buckle to Beijing’s pressure — in which I take up the cudgels with @Twitter on behalf of @Anne_MarieBradyhttps://t.co/A5rbRo2I59
— Edward Lucas (@edwardlucas) July 5, 2021
Twitter released a statement saying the company did not coordinate the ban with the Chinese government.
“To set the record straight, the assertion that Twitter is in coordination with any government to suppress speech has no basis in fact whatsoever,” Twitter said. “We advocate for a free, global, and open internet and remain a staunch defender of freedom of expression.”
