Why did AO3 get banned in China?

On February 29, 2020, the website archiveofourown.org (AO3) became inaccessible to fans and users in mainland China. The reason for AO3’s block has never been officially acknowledged and can only be guessed. Chinese fans also spread misinformation to the international community to protect their own interests.

Why is AO3 blocked?

A Hugo Award-winning fan-fiction website has been banned in China after a celebrity’s fans complained, en masse, about its alleged “poronographic content.” Created in 2008 by the Organization for Transformative Works, AO3 is a nonprofit open-source repository for fan fiction with a large and active Chinese community.

Is archive of our own available in China?

The Archive of Our Own (AO3), the Hugo-winning fanfiction website, is the latest casualty of Chinese censorship, amid a continued crackdown in the country on queer content, sexually explicit content, and websites based abroad. The OTW can confirm that ArchiveofOurOwn.org and AO3.org appear to be unavailable in China.

What is orphan account on AO3?

Orphaning is a way to remove some or all of your works from your account without taking them away from fandom. We hope you’ll use the orphan_account to allow your works to remain in the Archive even if you no longer wish to be associated with them, or have them connected to your account.

Is AO3 a safe website?

Archive of our own is safe to use and its haven for every kind of fic-loving fan. Archive of Our Own is a nonprofit open-source repository for fanfiction and other fanworks contributed by users.

Why was archive of our own banned in China?

On February 29, 2020, Archive of Our Own was officially blocked in mainland China. The banning of Archive of Our Own in mainland China caused controversy among its users. Their criticisms were further amplified by controversial behaviors of some of Xiao Zhan’s fans, and claimed that the actor should take responsibility for his fans’ actions.

Is AO3 blocked in China?

Reports surfaced on February 29 that AO3 was no longer accessible through the national Chinese web, and the site appears to be blocked from view within the country, according to Comparitech, a service that allows users to check whether China has blocked a website.

What happened to the archive of our own?

The Archive of Our Own (AO3), the Hugo-winning fanfiction website, is the latest casualty of Chinese censorship, amid a continued crackdown in the country on queer content, sexually explicit content, and websites based abroad.

What are the most blocked websites in China?

Popular foreign sites including Google, Facebook and Twitter are banned in China. The fanfiction site was blocked the day before new internet rules came into effect, banning internet creators from making sexually explicit and “lowbrow” content.