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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Helen Davidson in Taipei

China cracks down on ‘uncivilised’ online puns used to discuss sensitive topics

A woman prepares to load the Weibo app on her smartphone.
Chinese internet regulators are cracking down on puns and wordplay that could be used to discuss sensitive topics. Photograph: Richard Levine/Alamy

China’s internet regulators have launched a campaign cracking down on puns and homophones, one of the last remaining ways for citizens to safely discuss sensitive subjects without recriminations or censorship.

The “clear and bright” campaign is targeting “irregular and uncivilised” language online, particularly jokes, memes, and wordplay, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the ministry of education announced this month.

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