China Digital
‘Human Flesh Search Engine’ over Swimming Pool Conflict Turns Fatal: Female Doctor Commits Suicide after Becoming Target of Online Witch Hunt
When social media is used as a weapon in a private conflict, it can actually kill people.
– Miranda Barnes contributed to this report.
A 35-year-old female pediatrician from Deyang city, Sichuan, has committed suicide by taking 500 sleeping pills when the stress she faced, after getting caught up in an internet witch hunt, became too much for her.
The story, that has gone viral on Chinese social media, starts on August 20. The woman, named An Yingyan (安颖彦), was swimming at a local swimming pool with her husband that evening when she collided with a boy, as the pool’s surveillance cameras also show.
What happened next is unclear – and also varies depending on different social media accounts and news reports. According to those on An Yingyan’s side, the boy, a 13-year-old who was there with his friend, actually harassed the woman and touched her bathing suit. When An demanded an apology from the boy, he refused, spitting her in the face and further insulting her instead.
According to those on the side of the boy, however, An and the 13-year-old only briefly touched when colliding, causing An to become angry with the boy. He responded to her by pulling a face.
Surveillance cameras do show what happened next, namely that the woman’s husband intervened by jumping over, pushing the head of the boy underwater and smacking him.
Lifeguards at the swimming pool told Sina News that they soon spotted the altercation and intervened. Both the boys and the couple left the pool and went into the dressing rooms to change.
An Yingyan’s husband and friends, speaking to Chinese reporters, later claim that An was beaten by the 13-year-old’s mother and two other females inside the female dressing room that evening.
An’s husband shows a photo of the bruises his wife suffered from the alleged attack in the dressing room (via Netease report).
Both parties reported the incident to local police, who tried to settle the conflict between the two families. As a result, the husband apologized to the 13-year-old for his agressive behavior.
Getting Social Media Involved: The Online Witch Hunt
But the incident was far from over.
The following day, on August 21, the boy’s family -who apparently found out where the doctor worked – came over to Dr. An’s hospital, demanding her to be discharged and telling about her alleged misdemeanor.
The story, including surveillance footage from the pool, was also posted on social media by a social media user (@鸣Mmmm) – suspected to be the boy’s mother, Mrs. Chang – writing: “Quickly come and look, a minor was publicly beaten by an employee of the Water Resources Bureau*, pushing the baby child down, wanting to kill him. Just because the child was not careful while swimming and bumped into his wife. He even immediately apologized!” [*An’s husband].
An Yingyan requested an absence from work on Tuesday (21st), and stayed home the rest of the week. The incident had made her nervous, her husband told reporters, and at home she could also accompany her little daughter, who was just about to attend school for the first time.
But the social media storm got worse. Within three days after the incident occurred, the name, telephone number, work address, function, photos, and all other private information of An Yingyan and her husband had leaked online via WeChat and Weibo, going viral across their town and local chat groups: they had become the target of an online witch hunt, or a so-called ‘human flesh search engine.’
“Human Flesh Search Engine” (Rénròu sōusuǒ yǐnqíng 人肉搜索引擎) is the Chinese term for the phenomenon of netizens distributing the personal information of individuals they feel ‘deserve’ public interest or scorn. Targets are often individuals who have disrupted public order in some way and have angered netizens for their behavior and actions. (Read more here).
The Tables are Turning
On Saturday, August 25, only five days after the swimming pool conflict took place, An Yingyan sat in her car and took 500 sleeping pills. When she was found, she was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she passed away.
Her husband told reporters this week that his wife had become overwhelmed by the online manhunt and media attention, and the impact it made on her life and family. She would sit in her car and cry for hours.
A trending online video of KNEWS (blurred) shows how doctors are trying to resuscitate the woman, her husband crying by her side.
The story of An Yingyan has now received overwhelming attention on Chinese social media. The hashtag “Dr. An from Deyang” (#德阳安医生#) received 31 million views on Wednesday, the hashtag on her suicide (#德阳女医生自杀#) getting over 3 million views, a news report by Netease was read nearly 160,000 times within hours after posting.
Some well-known social media accounts have now apologized for forwarding the story, expressing their sympathies towards Dr. An and her family. Many posts about the incident have since been deleted. One prominent account forwarding the story is titled ‘Deyang Expose King’ (@德阳爆料王), and many commenters especially blame this account for forwarding “false information.”
“The internet has made this excellent pediatrician kill herself,” some say. “You all have blood on your hands,” a popular Weibo post said (@夏天的风Tl): “You can delete your posts all you want, but you know your crime.”
Public sentiment has seemingly drastically turned around. Although many people criticized the doctor and her husband after the video and story were first posted online, they are now turning against the Chang mother and her family, blaming Mrs. Chang for misguiding public opinion to use it as a weapon against Dr. An.
“She’s a beast!”, some say: “No wonder the 13-year-old behaves like an animal, having been raised by one.”
Some netizens even call for another ‘human flesh search,’ this time targeting the Chang family.
Although a suicide triggered by an online witch hunt is at the center of this story, most netizens seemingly do not care about starting another one.
By Manya Koetse, contributions from Miranda Barnes
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China Digital
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Hailed as Asian “Solitary Hero” on Chinese Social Media
After the congressional hearing of the TikTok CEO, some called Shou Zi Chew “Mr. Perfect in the eye of the storm.”
While there were enough people on Chinese social media swooning over celebrities this weekend during the Weibo Award Night, there were also many netizens admiring another person, namely Shou Zi Chew (周受资, Zhou Shouzi), the CEO of TikTok.
Earlier this week, Shou Zi Chew appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the United States, facing a four-and-a-half-hour hearing over data security and harmful content on the TikTok app.
The hearing took place in light of Washington’s increasing concerns over TikTok “as a threat to national and personal security,” with officials calling for a nationwide ban on the app’s U.S. operations – unless Chinese owners sell their stake in the social media platform (more here).
TikTok is a super popular short video app by Chinese company Bytedance, which also runs Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of the international Tiktok app. TikTok has over 150 million users in the U.S. alone.
Being grilled about concerns over China’s influence over the Beijing-based Bytedance and China’s access to American data, Chew emphasized that ByteDance is a private business and “not an agent of China or any other country.”
During the hearing, Chew faced various questions from officials. One clip that was shared a lot on Twitter showed Arizona Republican Congresswoman Debbie Lesko asking Shou Zi Chew:
– “Do you agree that the Chinese government has persecuted the Uyghur population?”
“It’s deeply concerning to hear about all accounts of human rights abuse,” Shou answered: “My role here is to explain – ”
– “I think you’re being pretty evasive. It’s a pretty easy question. Do you agree that the Chinese government has persecuted the Uyghur population?”
“Congresswoman, I’m here to describe TikTok, and what we do as a platform, and as a platform, we allow our users to freely express their views on this issue and any other issue that matters to them,” Shou replied.
– “Well, you didn’t answer the question, ” Lesko said while interrupting Shou.
Another moment that was widely shared was when Congressman Richard Hudson asked Shou Chew:
– “Does TikTok access the home WiFi network?”
“Only if the user turns on the wifi,” Shou replied: “I’m sorry I may not understand the..”
– “So if I have TikTok on my phone, and my phone is on my home wifi, does TikTok access that network?“, Hudson asked.
“It will have to access the network to get connected to the internet, if that is your question.”
– “Is it possible then that it can access other devices on that home wifi network?” Hudson asked.
“Congressman, we do not do anything that is beyond any industry norms. I believe the answer to your question is no,” Chew replied.
On Chinese social media, the hearing received extensive discussion and analysis.
A “Collective Cursing Activity”
Chinese blogger Chairman Rabbit (兔主席), a conservative political commentator who often comments on US-related issues (read more), analyzed the hearing in a recent blog.
According to Chairman Rabbit, the hearing was a one-way conversation from the Congress side, and was more like a “collective ‘cursing’ activity” (“一场集体”骂娘”活动”) than dialogue, with the American officials not giving Shou the time to reply and basically – and rudely – answering their own questions.
The blogger also suggested that Chew was questioned as if he himself represented the Communist Party of China, even though he is Singaporean and the CEO of a private company. Regardless, the Americans seemed to take this time of questioning Shou as an opportunity to vent their anger at the Party and the Chinese government at large.
The main gist of Chairman Rabbit’s blog was shared by many others on social media, with some calling the hearing not much more intelligent than a “kindergarten fight” (“比幼儿园吵架高明不了多少”).
One meme making its rounds on Weibo and Wechat showed a photo of Apple CEO Tim Cook in China versus TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in the U.S., suggesting that while the Chinese side treated an American tech giant CEO with warmth and kindness, the American side had treated a Chinese tech giant CEO with coldness and paranoia.
Political cartoon by Singaporean editorial cartoonist Heng shared on Weibo, also published on Twitter by Lianhe Zaobao.
Another image circulating on Weibo is a political cartoon by the Singaporean artist Heng that was also published on Twitter by Lianhe Zaobao, the largest Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper.
The image shows the TikTok CEO tied to a tree, and a pile of wood stacked around him. Three ‘executioners,’ including Uncle Sam, are about to burn Chew at the stake with the help of some “Anti-Chinese Sentiment” fuel.
Shou Zi Chew: Mr. Perfect in the Eye of the Storm
Meanwhile, Chew himself has become super popular on Chinese social media, including on Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, where he has become idolized by some (“I won’t even compare you with the stars, you’re much better than the stars.”)
Some bloggers and commenters noted how Chew fits the supposed idea of a ‘perfect Asian’ by staying calm despite unreasonable allegations and emphasizing business interests over culture. One Weibo user (@老叔开画) called Shou Zi Chew “Mr. Perfect in the eye of the storm.”
Mostly, people admire how he stood up against Congress despite being “bullied” by American officials and “defended” China’s interests although he is Singaporean himself. Some called him a “solitary hero” (“孤胆英雄”).
Popular image shared on Weibo shows a Shou where he is today versus how his journey began as a young student.
Then there are those who praise the Singaporean businessman and entrepreneur for his career journey and his work ethic. The now 40-year-old studied in London and graduated from Harvard, he previously worked at Goldman Sachs and Xiaomi, and became the CEO of TikTok at 38 years old.
On the Xiaohongshu app, Chew is mentioned as a source of inspiration on how to remain calm and professional when facing a difficult situation.
Lastly, many fans just think Chew is “charming” and “handsome” – and they focus on details of Chew and his life that have nothing to do with the contents of the hearing. Some Weibo users pointed out how he came to his hearing well-prepared with four bottles of water, others discuss his personal life, including his wife Vivian Kao.
From Weibo to TikTok: Criticism from Two Sides
Besides receiving support from Chinese social media users, Chew’s handling of the hearing was also praised on the TikTok app by international users, including many Americans.
One popular Chew quote during the U.S. congressional hearing that came up on TikTok is how Chew said:
“I don’t think the [Chinese] ownership is the issue here, with a lot of respect, American social companies do not have a good track record when it comes to data security and privacy, just look at Facebook and Cambridge Analytica – and that’s just one example.”
Another popular quote was Chew defending TikTok, saying:
“There are more than 150 million Americans who love our platform, and we know we have a responsibility to protect them, which I’m making the following commitments to you and all our users. Number one: we will keep safety, particularly for teenagers, as a top priority for us. Number two: we will firewall protect the U.S. data from unwanted foreign access. Number three: TikTok will remain a place for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government. And fourth, we will be transparent and we will give access to third-party independent monitors to remain accountable for our commitments.”
Many TikTok users are not just fond of the app – and do not want it to get banned, – they also criticize the U.S. officials for how they handled the hearing, with their lack of technological knowledge and unfamiliarity with the TikTok app shining through in their questions.
Some TikTok creators suggested that the officials missed an opportunity to gain actual knowledge of TikTok’s data handling, and should have asked things like (suggested by TikTok user @sharonsaysso):
– “Are you collecting any passive data from the back end of the phones, even if the person isn’t logged in?”
– “How long are you storing this data for?”
– “What data is being passed to advertisers?”
– “If a user would like to have their data expunged from your systems, is there a process in place with them to easily and fairly quickly have that done?”
– “Have you ever willingly or unwillingly relinquished any of your user data to the government of China or any other country?”
– “Please explain in detail what elements your algorithm considers in its optimization process?”
After American media outlet NBC reported about how TikTok users declared their support for the platform and its CEO after the hearing, screenshots of the article were also shared on Chinese social media.
Chinese political commentator Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) wrote a lengthy post about the TikTok hearing on Weibo, and he also criticized how Chew was facing questions that were already framed and filled with “imaginary accusations” against China.
Hu Xijin and others do not necessarily hail Chew as a “hero,” but instead point out the arrogance and biased approach taken by U.S. official during the hearing.
“They give a dog a bad name and hang him,” some say, with others agreeing that this matter is no longer about the actual facts regarding TikTok’s operations, but about how American authorities have already set their agenda on how TikTok content is problematic and how the app is controlled by Beijing and cannot guarantee the security of U.S. users’ data and privacy.
Some commenters are already predicting the outcome of this matter: “You should prepare for the possibility of being banned or forced to sell.”
Watch a video of the hearing on YouTube here.
By Manya Koetse
With contributions by Miranda Barnes and Zilan Qian
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China Digital
Meet Ren Xiaorong, People’s Daily AI Virtual News Anchor
Although their functions are still limited, AI news anchors such as Ren Xiaorong are a sign of the future.
Ren Xiaorong (任小融) joined the Chinese state media outlet People’s Daily as a virtual presenter/news anchor this week.
Ren Xiaorong is the AI-powered host of an app allowing users to ask questions related to the Two Sessions, the annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress and of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference that have been taking place this week.
Through the People’s Daily app, you can ask Ren Xiaorong to tell you more about various topics covered during the Two Sessions, including education, epidemic prevention, housing, employment, environmental protection, and many other issues.
According to the introduction video launched by People’s Daily, Ren is also available to discuss other news topics people would like to know more about.
Ren Xiaorong is interactive to a certain (very limited) extent; users can select the topics they want to learn more about, but the app does not yet allow to ask specific questions.
A related hashtag went viral on Weibo on Sunday (#人民日报AI虚拟主播#), triggering discussions on the use of virtual news presenters.
Ren Xiaorong is not the first People’s Daily virtual news anchor. In 2019, the very first AI-powered presenter was unveiled at the 2019 Big Data Expo (#人民日报首位AI虚拟主播#). Guo Guo (果果), aka Little Guo Guo (小果果), was based on the real-life Chinese reporter Guo Xinyu (果欣禹).
Guo Guo and Guo Xinyu
China’s state media outlets Xinhua, Beijing TV, Hunan TV, and CCTV previously also unveiled their own AI-powered virtual news anchors at a time when China’s virtual idol market started to explode.
During the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, there was also a virtual host and China’s first AI sign language presenter.
Although news media outlets have started experimenting with virtual presenters for some time now, some netizens are still not convinced about the actual purpose of having virtual TV hosts and news anchors, especially when their AI-driven interactive functions are still limited.
Weibo blogging account ‘Media People Online’ (@传媒人在线) writes: “I’ve never really understood this, is there a shortage of broadcasting talent, or are AI anchors better at it? Why would you use a robot to broadcast the news? Are you spending so much money on an AI presenter just to show technological progress?”
But other bloggers (@夏日之阳新闻传播考研) think that virtual anchors could improve the quality and availability of news, since they could broadcast around the clock while saving on manpower, alleviating the pressure on newsrooms.
Whether people approve of virtual news readers or not, most agree Ren Xiaorong, along with her virtual colleagues, is a harbinger of the digitalization of the media at a time when artificial intelligence has already come to play a pivotal role in everyday activities.
Want to see Ren Xiaorong at work? Click this link on mobile.
By Manya Koetse
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