Asmae LAHRICHI

Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
Writing Plan
Introduction
 Opening with Global Relevance:
o Digital technologies were once seen as tools of liberation and
democratization.
o In authoritarian regimes like China, they have become
instruments of control.
o The Chinese model is increasingly influencing how other
countries govern online spaces.
 China’s Digital Landscape Under Xi Jinping:
o Since 2012, Xi has consolidated political power and centralized
control over media and digital communications.
o Emphasis on "cyber sovereignty" as a justification for domestic
censorship and surveillance.
 Freedom of Expression in Crisis:
o Despite protections under Article 19 of the UDHR, free speech
is sharply limited in China.
o Activists, citizen journalists, and ordinary users face
consequences for political speech.
 Purpose of the Research:
o To examine how digital surveillance is used as a tool for
political repression in China.
o To analyze the effects on activism, dissent, and freedom of
expression.
 Theoretical and Practical Importance:
o This paper applies social science theories (Foucault’s
Panopticon, Schauer’s chilling effect, authoritarian theory) to
China's case.
o It explores not only the domestic impacts but also the global
implications of China's digital authoritarianism.
 Structure of the Paper:
o Section 1: Presents the issue and its urgency through context
and real-world examples.
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
o Section 2: Analyzes China’s surveillance model using political
theory and digital governance frameworks.
o Section 3: Proposes practical and legal responses to challenge
repression and support digital resistance.

Section 1: The Issue and Its Urgency

As China rises as a global power, it increasingly sets the tone for how digital
technologies can be used not to liberate, but to control. Since Xi Jinping came to
power in 2012, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has systematically built a digital
ecosystem designed not for open discourse but for ideological control. While the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19) guarantees the right to freedom
of expression, this right is frequently curtailed in China through a highly coordinated
system of surveillance, censorship, and punishment.
The consolidation of power under Xi has intensified restrictions on civil liberties. In
2018, Xi eliminated presidential term limits, reinforcing his indefinite hold over the
state. He has repeatedly emphasized the importance of “telling China’s story well,”
which has translated into tighter narrative control across both traditional media and
online platforms. “Cyber sovereignty” : the notion that states have absolute control
over their digital domains, has become a guiding principle of China’s internet
governance.
This has given rise to one of the world’s most advanced and opaque systems of
digital surveillance:
 The Great Firewall blocks access to foreign platforms like Google, Facebook,
and Twitter.
 Real-name registration laws force users to link their online presence to
state-issued IDs.
 AI-driven censorship monitors posts in real time, detecting and removing
sensitive content.
 Platforms like WeChat and Weibo are directly integrated into state
surveillance structures.
 Facial recognition cameras, often linked to social databases, are installed
across public spaces.
These tools are not simply protective, they are aggressively repressive. One
example is the case of Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who reported on the early
COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. She was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking
quarrels and provoking trouble.” Another symbol of resistance, Peng Lifa (known as
the “Bridge Man”), hung protest banners in Beijing criticizing Xi Jinping ahead of the
20th Party Congress. He was swiftly detained and has not been seen since.
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
The government also targets grassroots activism. Feminist groups and LGBTQ+
communities, once active online, have had their accounts deleted and their
members harassed. Lawyers advocating for civil rights face disbarment,
surveillance, or imprisonment. These events reveal how digital repression stifles
dissent and isolates critics before they can gain traction.
This environment has produced a powerful chilling effect. Citizens increasingly
avoid discussing politics online, not out of apathy, but out of fear. Even liking a
politically sensitive post can result in questioning, job loss, or arrest. According to
Freedom House (2021), China holds the world’s lowest internet freedom score,
just 10 out of 100.
The consequences of China’s digital model are global. More than 80 governments
have adopted or adapted elements of this system, particularly in the Global South.
As China exports both its surveillance technologies and its authoritarian digital
philosophy, it challenges universal norms of human rights and risks reshaping the
global internet into a fragmented, state-controlled space.

Section 2: Theoretical and Analytical Framework

Main Thesis: To understand China’s digital repression, we must analyze
how Xi Jinping’s regime merges authoritarianism with technological
control. Using social science theories, this section breaks down the
mechanisms and impacts of surveillance.

I. Xi’s Authoritarian Strategy: Digital Leninism

 Centralization of Power:
o Xi abolished presidential term limits in 2018, symbolizing total control
over the party and state.
o All major political and digital decisions are routed through the CCP’s
Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission.
 Narrative Control:
o Xi has emphasized the importance of “telling China’s story well” — a
euphemism for ideological control.
o State-controlled platforms amplify pro-regime messages while
suppressing dissent.
 Digital Modernity + Leninist Governance:
o Scholars like Rogier Creemers argue that China blends Soviet-style
party rule with modern surveillance capitalism.
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
o This fusion has resulted in digital governance tools that monitor,
predict, and influence citizen behavior.

II. Surveillance as Social Control

 Foucault’s Panopticon (Discipline & Punish, 1975):
o Surveillance leads to self-censorship and internalized discipline.
People regulate their behavior because they might be watched.
o China's use of visible and invisible surveillance (facial recognition, data
monitoring) reinforces this.
 The Social Credit System:
o Tracks a wide range of behaviors (e.g., online comments, travel habits,
debt).
o Low scores can result in blocked train/plane tickets, school denial, or
public shaming.
o This system encourages conformity by linking morality, loyalty, and
legality.

III. Impact on Political Expression

 Chilling Effect Theory (Frederick Schauer, 1978):
o Surveillance leads to speech inhibition, especially on sensitive
political issues.
o In China, users avoid engaging with political content or delete old posts
due to fear of reprisal.
 Online-to-Offline Activism Suppression:
o The “Feminist Five” detained in 2015 for planning to protest sexual
harassment.
o Whistleblowers during COVID-19, like Dr. Li Wenliang, punished despite
acting in the public interest.
o Activists organizing through WeChat or Douban face digital erasure and
police interrogation.

IV. Surveillance Infrastructure and Technology

 Tech Corporations as State Partners:
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
o Tencent (WeChat), Alibaba (Cloud services), and ByteDance (TikTok) all
comply with data-sharing laws.
o These companies help the state implement censorship and
surveillance policies.
 AI Censorship & Predictive Policing:
o AI models identify “sensitive” speech patterns and predict collective
unrest.
o NLP tools scan for oblique references to banned topics (e.g., using
homophones or emojis).
 Smart Cities & Data Integration:
o “Safe City” projects combine video surveillance, biometric data, and
big data analytics to monitor populations.
o Used heavily in Xinjiang to target the Uyghur population.

Section 3: Responses and Solutions

Main Goal: To counter repression, we must combine digital activism,
international legal pressure, and global advocacy. No single approach is
sufficient—multi-level resistance is essential.

I. Supporting Digital Resistance and Awareness

 Digital Hygiene Training:
o NGOs and universities can train activists to use VPNs, Tor, Signal,
ProtonMail, etc.
o Teaching how to detect phishing attacks, avoid metadata leaks, and
use burner phones.
 Anonymous and Encrypted Platforms:
o Promote alternatives like Matrix.org, Session, or Briar—apps
designed for secure, decentralized communication.
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
o Avoid reliance on WeChat or Baidu, which are deeply integrated with
state systems.

II. International Legal & Diplomatic Pressure

 UN Mechanisms:
o Encourage use of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to highlight
digital rights violations.
o Strengthen OHCHR’s stance on surveillance and AI misuse in
authoritarian states.
 Targeted Sanctions:
o Impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Chinese firms like Hikvision,
Dahua, and SenseTime.
o These companies supply surveillance tech to Xinjiang and other highly
monitored regions.
 Legal Norms for Tech Exports:
o Develop a “Digital Arms Control Treaty” to regulate international
sales of surveillance technologies.

III. Promoting Global Accountability and Advocacy

 Amplifying Dissident Voices Abroad:
o Support diaspora journalists and bloggers through fellowships and
international platforms.
o Translate and disseminate their work (e.g., Badiucao, exiled Chinese
cartoonist).
 Documenting Repression:
o Fund projects like:

 China Digital Times – archives leaked documents and

censored terms.
 GreatFire.org – tracks blocked websites and mobile censorship
in real-time.
o Partner with academic institutions to maintain public databases on
arrests and censorship incidents.
 Tech for Transparency:
Asmae LAHRICHI
Writing Plan
RES102-L’écriture à l’ère digitale
Chaimaa TOULOUN
o Support development of open-source censorship detectors and
network measurement tools (e.g., OONI, NetBlocks).
o Enable real-time alerts for information suppression during crises.