Abstract

The authors investigated the use of microblogs - or weibos - and related censorship practices using 111 million microblogs collected between 1 January and 30 June 2012. Using a matched case-control study design helped researchers determine a list of Chinese terms that discriminate censored and uncensored posts written by the same microbloggers. This list includes homophones and puns created by Chinese microbloggers to circumvent the censors successfully. The study's design also allowed for evaluating the new real-name registration system's impact on microbloggers' posting activities. Findings suggest that this policy might have stopped some microbloggers from writing about social and political subjects.

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