NFTs evading the censors: Shanghai Covid Memories | The Economist

Evading the censors in Shanghai

China’s draconian restrictions in response to covid-19 outbreaks are not lockdowns so much as house-arrests on an enormous scale. With more than 10m people in Shanghai locked in their homes, and signs that Beijingers might soon be subjected to the same, people have turned to the internet to vent. But this being China, complaints are quickly censored.

One tool that netizens have deployed to document their experiences is the blockchain. Because the technology uses decentralised servers, there is no one company that can be leaned on to delete content. And activity is anonymous. “Shanghai Covid Memories” is a digital archive of disturbing moments. In one video a mother pleads with health workers to be allowed to take her sick two-year-old to hospital. The files are all saved (and available for sale) as non-fungible tokens on OpenSea, an NFT marketplace. So far none has been purchased. But the gallery is there for anyone to browse.

Shanghai Covid Memories

The way Chinese think about covid-19 is changing (The Economist)