Report Says China Internet Firms Censored Coronavirus Terms, Criticism Early in Outbreak

People wearing masks walk in a shopping street in Beijing, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, China, on March 3, 2020. Thomas Peter/Reuters

BEIJING—Chinese social media platforms began censoring references to coronavirus and keywords critical of the government’s handling of the infection as early as December, Toronto-based cyber research group Citizen Lab said in a report on Mar. 3.

Chinese messenger app WeChat, owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd., and JOYY Inc.’s video streaming app YY blocked keyword combinations that included criticisms of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, local officials and policies linked to the virus, the report found.