China blocks CNN’s website and Reuters stories about Tiananmen Square

CNN’s website is currently blocked in mainland China, after it published a story about today’s 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre as one of its top headlines. The site is usually accessible in China, according to historical data from GreatFire.org.

Matt Rivers, a Beijing-based reporter, noted the blocking of the site on Twitter, writing that “the government here is near obsessive about limiting conversation on this topic.

It appears the Chinese government has begun to block @CNN’s website in mainland China. It’s usually available. Our top story sright now is about the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The government here is near obsessive about limiting conversation on this topic pic.twitter.com/Hjatdko3Gx

— Matt Rivers (@MattRiversCNN) June 4, 2019

Information about the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstration, which ended when the government ordered troops to fire on activists, is suppressed in China, but the country’s censorship apparatus begins intensifying its efforts at eradicating any mention of the events in the weeks leading up to its anniversary each year.

Earlier today, financial information provider Refinitiv also took down Reuters stories related to Tiananmen Square from its Eikon information terminal, following an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the government’s Internet regulation and censorship agency. The CAC told Refinitiv it would suspend its service in China if did not comply with the order.

Even though the stories were only supposed to be blocked in China, Reuters reported today that some users outside of China also said they could not see them, though the reason for that is unclear. (Early versions of the Reuters story about the suspension were themselves removed from Eikon, too).