The Virtual Jail: Content Moderation Challenges Faced by Chinese Queer Content Creators on Douyin

Research Background and Issues

• Issues and Challenges: The authors investigated the regulation of LGBTQ content on the Chinese short video platform Douyin. Through interviews with 21 LGBTQ creators and viewers, they found that Douyin potentially suppresses and removes LGBTQ-related content, reducing the online visibility of LGBTQ individuals. Creators and viewers noted that this content censorship may stem from platform policies, algorithms, and the influence of China's national and social structures.
• Significance: Online social platforms are crucial tools for LGBTQ individuals to express their identities and build communities. Censoring such content not only affects personal expression but also has profound implications for the social visibility and recognition of marginalized groups.
• Research Motivation and Related Work: This study fills a gap in the field of LGBTQ content censorship in non-Western contexts, particularly in China, while deepening the understanding of how content regulation affects marginalized groups. Previous research has largely focused on similar issues on Western platforms, with limited knowledge about the characteristics of content regulation in China.

Solutions

• Research Methods: The research team collected data through semi-structured interviews and analyzed it using constructivist grounded theory. They interviewed 21 LGBTQ Douyin users (including content creators and viewers) to address the following three core questions:
  • RQ1: How do LGBTQ users perceive that their content is being censored on Douyin?
  • RQ2: What types of LGBTQ content are censored on Douyin?
  • RQ3: How do LGBTQ users respond to and overcome content censorship?
• Innovations:
  • The study introduced the concept of a "Virtual Jail," referring to how Douyin uses algorithms and policies to isolate "negative" LGBTQ content to the periphery of the platform, preventing it from being disseminated alongside mainstream content.
  • Unlike the "shadowbanning" mechanism on Western platforms, Douyin in some cases provides transparent reasons for censorship, offering users unique communication pathways to adjust their content.
• Implementation Steps and Techniques:
  • Data Collection: Participants were recruited through Douyin direct messages and snowball sampling, followed by remote interviews via Zoom.
  • Analysis Process: Open coding, axial coding, and theoretical construction were employed to develop a comprehensive understanding of users' experiences with content censorship and their coping strategies.
  • User Strategies: Participants explored ways to evade censorship, such as blurring intimate images, avoiding sensitive keywords, or using double entendres.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:
  • Douyin's methods of restricting LGBTQ content include deleting or blocking videos, implicit suppression (e.g., reducing recommendation traffic), and banning hashtags like #gay and #les.
  • Users developed various strategies, including self-censorship, employing social steganography (using coded language to bypass censorship), relying on fans to disclose creators' identities in comments, and forming closed-loop groups to maintain interaction.
• Comparison with Existing Solutions:
  • Compared to Western platforms, Douyin in some cases provides more direct reasons for censorship and avenues for appeal. However, under the strong constraints of national policies, it significantly suppresses the dissemination of LGBTQ content.
  • LGBTQ users achieve partial visibility, but this visibility is limited by the government's definition of "acceptable LGBTQ identities" (i.e., non-political and non-sexualized).
• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  • Users generally perceive Douyin's censorship mechanisms as reflecting state-driven homophobia and societal constraints.
  • Creators observed that even when they compromised on content, self-censorship further reinforced societal expectations for LGBTQ identities to be depoliticized and desexualized.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations:
    1. The interview data relies on participants' subjective reports, which may involve inaccuracies.
    2. The focus on a single platform (Douyin) and a single country (China) limits the generalizability of the findings.
    3. The study did not include platform algorithm audits or comparisons.
  • Future Directions:
    1. Conduct algorithm audits on Douyin to verify participants' grassroots theories.
    2. Compare the content regulation experiences of different identity groups (e.g., gender minorities and other marginalized communities) on Douyin.
    3. Explore differences in content censorship between Douyin and TikTok to reveal the impact of platform and cultural contexts on user experiences.

Conclusion

This study reveals the regulatory practices of LGBTQ content on Douyin and the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals under content censorship on Chinese short video platforms. By introducing the concept of the "Virtual Jail," the study describes how the platform confines "negative" LGBTQ content to the margins, reflecting the profound influence of governmental and societal norms on online LGBTQ expression. The research highlights the dual role of content platforms in facilitating identity expression and resisting structural exclusion for marginalized groups, calling for further exploration of how to achieve broader digital inclusivity and equity.