When China’s prodigious tech influencer, Naomi Wu, found herself silenced, it wasn’t just the machinery of a surveillance state at play. Instead, it was a confluence of state repression and the sometimes capricious attention of a Western audience that, as she asserts, often views Chinese activists more as ideological tokens than as genuine human beings.
Given how much the CCP controls China, you’re always a bit suspicious that any cool content from there is actually state-sponsored (TikTok seems to have a lot of channels like that). That was the first impression I got from the first video I saw of sexycyborg and I’m sure that a lot people dismissed her for similar reasons. But if you learn about her story, it all seems legit and she’s a very inspiring hacker.
She developed a new form of 3D printer for printing extremely long objects.
The printer can effectively print a chain forever if given enough filament, as it prints at a 45 degree angle on a belt.
Good for cosplay swords, poles, staffs, belts, lamp posts, other long and hard things.
Combine that with the multi filament feature of Bamboo printers(IIRC), and hot swappable spools, and you can literally print until something else in the system breaks.
There are replacements for other parts too, like the diamond tip that’s supposed to be really durable.
You are talking about that conveyor belt printer from creality? I didn’t know it was her
She made the prototype and collaborated with them, so the story goes.
So she’s actually been around for a long time. The only reason I know was because she was a minor figure in a major internet drama…
Basically in 2014 there was something called GamerGate. It started off as anger over journalists being complete dickwads, and ended in being the blueprint neonazis used to radicalize people.
While the tech journalists were “the good guys” they embodied the “you’re not wrong, just an asshole” thing 10000x. They would behave like high school bullies and then be super vindictive to anyone who was perceived as crossing them.
During this time, Wu went to a tech conference with a LED miniskirt that she made. She posted it on the Internet and got a lot of comments. The vast majority of them were good. However, one person said something along the lines of “you look great. These tech conferences can be sexist, I hope you didn’t get body shamed”. She responded with something like “most people were chill. The only real dicks were the progressive ‘conformity non/conformity’ types”.
This caused a massive shitstorm. Bad actors were able to use the very real argument that the same people calling them sexist were judging Wu so hard that it was visible in pictures". The journalists then attacked her and accused Wu of working with them. Wu apologized. She said she was Chinese and didn’t mean to get involved in US culture war discussions. However, she also refused to take a side because she didn’t want to get involved in US culture war discussions.
As a result, she got put on a shit list by the media for a long time. That line about VICE NEWS considering outing her? A media organization linked to GamerGate called Gawker pioneered that tactic. They largely used it on us conservatives. Peter Thiel was the biggest example, most people outed were more or less nobodies. I’m guessing VICE had initial thoughts of outing her in the same way, and only later realizing that outing a woman for being a lesbian dating a minority in China is a very different ballgame than outing Timothy Geithner’s brother for being on Grindr.
TikTok shows you what you encourage it to show you.
I’ve never seen any CCP prop, likely because I either say “not interested” or quickly scroll away from anything that is that kinda shit
Please read past the headline, there’s an important story here with through lines of corruption, cybersecurity, and complexities of living in a state like that
If the CCP wants you gone, they can have you gone, just like that. The only thing that keeps them from putting people like Naomi away permanently is international pressure. I’m worried for her, because I don’t think that will hold for much longer.
If we’re following a pattern, she’ll likely turn back up in a few weeks or months, say how awesome the CCP is, then disappear from public life. She would probably have some sort of travel ban and even if she gets out, the CCP would go after her or her girlfriend’s families at the very least. I don’t think they would merc her because the seem to value being able to tote their targets out to maintain the masquerade.
She was always keeping a moderate tone, always leaning towards supporting China and the Chinese state as well. I thought she’d skip around the censors because of it.
China doesn’t care. They’ll betray anyone in an instant, because they’re fascists masquerading as the “party of the people”.
The fact that there are so many pro-China supporters on Lemmy that want this shit makes me sad. Lemmy.ml, Lemmygrad (same people), Hexbear…
It’s mainly due to the fact that to us Westerners we wish we could have the stability in China. I will say I personally see China as a state that will crumble and then it’ll reform to different communes (that is my hope). Or we get Romance of The Three Kingdoms but Cyber core
Lol @ the downvote
Why are they going after people who are supportive of them?
The short answer is that she reported a security vulnerability in a popular Android keyboard. It basically operated as a keylogger. The logical assumption is that the government was using that to spy on people (even people using secure messengers) and did not appreciate the secret getting out to the public.
Because they are fascists with power. You can praise them all day every day but when it comes down if you are different in any way they will see you as a deviant and a sickness.
Because of the reasons in the article?
Why are they going after people
Seems you haven’t read the second half of the title, as well as the second half of the article.
Because it’s not enough.
She wasn’t enough.
She doesn’t fit the box perfectly.
And she was too popular to ignore.
A brave woman doing her very best in very difficult circumstances
Never heard of her, but why can’t her partner (Kaidi?) leave? Can’t they sneak across the border and start a new life I dunno… in Europe, Australia, Japan, or something?
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I’m not sure I understand… why would the Chinese keep somebody they are racist against in the country? To continue being racist against them? Wouldn’t they want them to leave? Or are they being treated as free labor?
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Every victim of suppression that leaves is a possible dissident operating from abroad
I’m guessing it’s also not feasible to get her a visa on the other side, meaning nowhere to go. I also wouldn’t be surprised if her family being more closely watched and targeted if they leave isn’t also part of why they feel they can’t.
Her partner is Uighur.
You’re looking at it from a logical view,
The answer is pretty much that her partner is a minority that the state hates, so they want to punish that person and anyone who supports her,
And it’s just that. Perhaps they could escape, but I presume they both have family there, and then they may not be able to return, etc.
What a shame. I’m subscribed to her youtube channel and enjoyed her content. Unfortunately, this will probably be used as more ammunition in the political war that will continue the feedback loop and things will only get worse.
I remember her from SerpentZa video back in the day. Quite a character…
