An episode of The Simpsons in which the cartoon family from the US visit Tiananmen Square has been removed from Disney’s streaming channel in Hong Kong at a time when authorities are clamping down on dissent.
The missing episode adds to concerns that Chinese-style censorship is becoming the norm in the territory, ensnaring global streaming giants and other major tech companies.
Disney+ has made rapid advances since it was launched 18 months ago, reaching more than 116 million worldwide subscribers.
Photo: AFP
The Hong Kong version started streaming earlier this month and eagle-eyed customers soon noticed that an episode of The Simpsons featuring China was conspicuously absent.
Episode 12 of season 16, which first aired in 2005, features the family going to China to try and adopt a baby. They visit Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the site of a deadly crackdown against democracy protesters in 1989.
In the cartoon there is a sign in the square that reads: “On this site, in 1989, nothing happened,” a satirical nod to China’s campaign to purge memories of what happened.
It is not clear whether Disney+ removed the episode or was ordered to by authorities.
The entertainment giant has not responded to requests for comment, nor has Hong Kong’s government.
When Agence France-Presse checked Disney+’s Hong Kong channel yesterday episodes 11 and 13 of season 16 were available, but not 12.
Until recently, Hong Kong boasted significant artistic and political freedoms compared with China, but authorities are transforming the territory in the wake of huge democracy protests two years ago.
Among the slew of measures are new censorship laws introduce this summer that forbid any broadcasts that might breach the broad National Security Law that China imposed on the territory last year.
Censors have since ordered directors to make cuts and refused permission for some films to be shown to the public.
Last week, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) vowed to “proactively plug loopholes” in the territory’s Internet and introduce “fake news” regulations.
Her comments have added to concerns that China’s “Great Firewall” Internet and news censorship regime could be extended to Hong Kong.
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