By Shannon Liao | 11 February 2019
THE VERGE — Reddit has received a $150 million investment from Tencent, the Chinese tech giant behind WeChat and League of Legends, sparking fears of censorship from Reddit users. The investment was first rumored last week, and led to Reddit users posting photos and memes banned in China in protest of Tencent’s involvement.
The protests have centered around two images in particular: Winnie the Pooh, whose likeness is largely banned because users have mocked its resemblance to President Xi Jinping, and images of the iconic Tank Man from the Tiananmen Square massacre. Both are censored in China because of state rules aimed at keeping internet users from opposing the government. One Reddit user quipped, “I thought it would be nice to post this picture of “Tank Man” at Tienanmen Square before our new glorious overlords decide we cannot post it anymore.”
Reddit confirmed the investment to The Verge, but declined further comment. […]
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