Reddit Circulates ‘China Bootlickers’ List After Zoom Licks China’s Boots

A Reddit user has circulated a ‘China Bootlickers’ list after video chat company Zoom deactivated accounts of prominent pro-democracy Chinese activists based in the U.S.

The list, republished below, includes companies which have kowtowed to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by taking actions to censor or restrict pro-democracy content, or otherwise promote CCP talking points. As Bloomberg notes, “Several tech companies were included on the list, including Activision Blizzard, which temporarily banned a gamer who voiced support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrators, and Apple, which removed a mapping app in Hong Kong amid protests and pulled the Taiwan flag emoji from some iPhones.”

On Thursday, three US lawmakers asked Zoom to clarify its data-collection practices, as well as its relationship with the Chinese government, according to Reuters.

Representatives Greg Walden, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the ranking member of a consumer subcommittee, sent a letter to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan on Thursday asking him to clarify the company’s data practices, whether any was shared with Beijing and whether it encrypted users’ communications.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley also wrote to Yuan asking him to “pick a side” between the United States and China.

…

The California-based firm has come under heavy scrutiny after three U.S. and Hong Kong-based activists said their accounts had been suspended and meetings disrupted after they tried to hold events related to the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Zoom said on Friday it was notified of the events and asked to take action by the Chinese government in May and early June. It said it suspended one account in Hong and two in the United States but has now reinstated these accounts and will not allow further requests from China to affect users outside the country. –Reuters

Hayman Capital Management CIO Kyle Bass said in a Friday tweet that he expects a “significant U.S. Congressional response to #zoom’s shenanigans. They have no defense.”

I suspect a significant US congressional response to #zoom ‘s shenanigans. They have no defense. #china

— 🇺🇸Kyle Bass🇺🇸 (@Jkylebass) June 12, 2020

The “China Bootlickers” list has been posted several times over the last year, which can be seen below:

Hall of Bootlickers (via /u/lebbe)

• Activision / Blizzard: banned player for supporting HK democracy protest. Confiscated all his winnings. Fired his interviewers. Apologized to China: condemned incident, swore to defend China’s national dignity

• Activision / Blizzard: censor words related to HK protest in WoW

• Activision / Blizzard: cut livestream when American U team held up pro-HK sign

• Activision / Blizzard: censor “Free Hong Kong” in twitch chat of PlayHearthstone

• Activision / Blizzard: ban users in its Hearthstone Twitch chat for pro-Hong Kong statements

• American Express: changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, China” on its website

• EA DICE: censor “Tiananmen” in Battlefield V chat

• ESL: warn staff not to discuss HK protests

• TikTok: censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, Falun Gong

• TikTok refuses to testify to US Congress about its business in China

• ZLONGAME: removed guilds with any reference to HK in Second Galaxy M

• Apple: censor Taiwan flag emoji in iOS in HK

• Apple: banned HK protest map in App Store. Approved app after backlash. Banned app once again after China hissy fit

• Apple: banned in Chinese App Store news app that covered HK protest

• Apple: minimized the seriousness of iOS exploits that enabled China to track Uyghurs, when 1M+ of them are rounded up by China in concentration camps

• Apple: handed over iCloud data & encryption keys to China

• Apple: told Apple TV+ creators to avoid portraying China “in a poor light”

• Apple: Safari browser sends some user IP addresses to Tencent by default

• Apple refuses to testify to US Congress about its business in China

• Vans: censor pro-HK democracy design in its shoe design competition

• NBA (partial entry): rebuked Rockets manager for his pro-HK tweet, saying NBA was “extremely disappointed with Morey’s inappropriate comment.” Backpedalled after backlash, now saying they support Morey’s freedom of speech.

• Brooklyn Nets: owner decried Rockets GM’s pro-HK freedom tweet

• Houston Rockets: censored journalist who asked question about freedom of speech after China debacle

• James Harden: apologized to China on behalf of his GM’s pro-freedom tweet

• Lebron James: attacked Morey for supporting HK democracy. Wanted Morey punished for it.

• Philly Sixers: ejected fans for supporting HK

• Washington Wizards: confiscated “Free Hong Kong” sign

• Christian Dior: apologize for using “incorrect” China map

• Disney / ESPN: forbid mention of Chinese politics when discussing Rockets manager’s HK tweet

• Disney / ESPN: showed map of China on SportsCenter that acknowledged CCP’s claims to nearly entire South China Sea

• Disney / Marvel: censored Tibetan monk from “Doctor Strange” & turned him into white woman. Movie screenwriter: “if you acknowledge that Tibet is a place & that he’s Tibetan, you risk alienating one billion people who think that that’s bullshit“.

• Disney: removed non-white characters from Chinese poster of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

• Disney / ESPN: told reporter to stand down on covering the NBA-China story the way he wanted

• Comcast / DreamWorks: movie “Abominable” shows 9 dash line in China map

• Viacom / Paramount: censor Taiwan flag from the jacket worn by Tom Cruise in new “Top Gun” movie

• ASICS, Calvin Klein, Coach, Fresh, Givenchy, Pocari Sweat, Valentino, Versace, Swarovski: details here

• Marriott: apologized & changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, China” after China threw a hissy fit

• Marriott: fired employee who liked tweet from Tibetan group

• Nike: removed Houston Rockets products from China webstore

• Cathay Pacific: fired employees for FB posts supporting HK protests.

• Google: censored pro-HK game “The Revolution of Our Times” from Google Play because it was about a “sensitive event“.

• Gap: apologized for selling T-shirts IN CANADA that didn’t include Taiwan as part of China

• Tiffany: removed tweet showing model covering 1 eye after China accused it of supporting HK

• Mercedes: apologized for quoting Dalai Lama on Instagram

• American, Delta, United: deleted mention of Taiwan as a country from websites

• Audi: apologized for using “incorrect” map of China that left off Taiwan

• Muji: destroyed store catalogs that contain “incorrect” map of China

• Zara: apologized for listing Taiwan as country

• Medtronic: apologized for publishing “illegal content” that listed “Republic of China (Taiwan)” as country

• Ray-Ban: changed “Taiwan” & “Hongkong” to “China Taiwan” & “China Hongkong”

• Qantas, Air France, Air Canada, British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA: changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan China”

• Sheraton: banned Taiwan National Day event due to China pressure

• Shutterstock: censors search for any topics China doesn’t approve: “Taiwan flag,” “dictator,” “yellow umbrella”

• US universities: don’t talk about 3 Ts: Tibet, Tiananmen, Taiwan

• US universities: welcome China infiltrations with open arms

• Leica: released ad on Tiananmen protest. Apologized & distanced itself from ad

• Reddit: took $150M from Tencent. Removed thread like this

• Rockhampton, Queensland: censored Taiwan flag in student project

• Cisco: helped build Great Firewall including module to persecute Falun Gong

• MGM: changed Red Dawn’s villain from China to N Korea to placate China

• Global Blue: fired staff for calling Taiwan a country

• L’Oréal / Lancôme: canceled HK artist concert for her pro-democracy activism

• US universities: self-censor in fear of offending China

• Disney: block Winnie the Pooh website in HK