Human Flesh Search Engines (人肉引掣)

Although the name suggests a prurient motive, "human flesh search engines" (人肉引掣) are in fact an emerging online form of lynch mob and social engineering. The term refers to a practice in which Chinese "netizens" use the Internet to track down errant comrades who violate social mores, whether at home or abroad.

The China Media Project has an interesting post concerning how one such "search engine" resulted in the (possibly) illegal detention of a 17 year-old girl who posted some unpopular thoughts about the Sichuan earthquake on her blog. What is perhaps most interesting about the article, however, is the following passage in which one Yu Lisheng tries to carve a distinction between freedom of thought and freedom of expression:

Freedom of expression and freedom of movement, ...which can potentially impact larger society, should be correspondingly restricted, subject to greater limitations arising from law or from moral codes. And so we should be responsible for speech and actions exercised in the public domain.

Statements like these seem to undermine the rationale for the Great Firewall, a.k.a. "Operation Golden Shield." There is no need for the P.R.C. to prevent access to certain websites if the Chinese citizenry is so quick to enforce social mores by their lonesome. Perhaps this is why the BBC and Wikipedia are now accessible within China after so many years on the blacklist.