Chinese tech giant Tencent is seeking the removal of FreeWeChat.com, an archive developed by GreatFire, according to a statement released by the anti-censorship group last week.
The website specialises in surfacing deleted or blocked WeChat posts on politically sensitive topics.
According to the statement, the conglomerate’s legal representative, Group-IB, accused FreeWeChat of trademark and copyright infringement, submitting a takedown complaint to the site’s hosting provider on June 12.
GreatFire have denied the claims: “They cite the use of the word ‘WeChat’ in our domain, even though FreeWeChat does not use WeChat’s logo, claim affiliation, or distribute any modified WeChat software. The claim is thin, but the intent is clear: shut down a watchdog.”
“This escalation comes amid a tightening censorship regime inside China and dwindling international support for digital rights work due to foreign aid cuts,” they added.
Despite rebutting the allegations, the hosting provider complied and removed an instance of the site, GreatFire said. It was “a troubling indication of how even flimsy legal threats can silence public-interest platforms,” it added.
Nevertheless, the site was accessible as of HKFP’s checks on Thursday, with GreatFire saying it will not comply with the takedown order and was seeking legal assistance and technical support to ensure the website remains accessible.
A spokesperson told HKFP on Wednesday that they “already had two hosts for this website – as far as we know, the second one has not been contacted or, if they have, they have not taken action… we hope that our hosting provider will change their decision and – if not – we will pursue legal action.”
Not ‘enforcement’ action
Tencent did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. However, a statement provided to HKFP from Group-IB’s CEO Dmitry Volkov on Friday said that the firm assists in cases of intellectual property misuse, brand impersonation, and copyright abuse: “We may send copyright abuse notifications to hosting providers, registrars, or platform administrators. These notices are submitted under standard procedures and legal frameworks defined by applicable laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the EU Copyright Directive (EUCD), and other relevant regulations.”
“It’s important to clarify that such requests do not constitute enforcement actions. The final decision to act on a notice always rests with the platform or service provider, and the affected party has the right to dispute or challenge the request through the appropriate mechanism,” they added.
When asked if they were seeking a full takedown of FreeWeChat, they did not directly respond but said: “Group-IB evaluates reported violations through a technical and legal lens, not based on the content or purpose of a website.”
Transparency platform
Launched in 2016, FreeWeChat was designed to challenge growing censorship in China. The site archives and republishes public posts from official WeChat accounts, allowing users to view censored content, including posts removed from the Tencent-owned platform due to political sensitivity.
“With over 175,000 unique visitors in the past three months, the site serves researchers, journalists, and Chinese citizens seeking transparency about the topics WeChat’s owner, Tencent, suppresses,” said GreatFire in the statement.
“This isn’t our first battle, nor will it be our last. Over the years, our projects have documented thousands of censored articles, circumvented China’s Great Firewall… With the support of our users and allies, we will continue to shine a light on censorship, no matter how hard its corporate and state sponsors try to shut it off,” they added.
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