James Griffiths
@jamestgriffiths.com
🇨🇦 Asia correspondent, @theglobeandmail.com
📚 Author, ‘The Great Firewall of China’ and ‘Speak Not’
📍 Hong Kong
🔒 jgriffiths.852
📚 Author, ‘The Great Firewall of China’ and ‘Speak Not’
📍 Hong Kong
🔒 jgriffiths.852
Pinned
James Griffiths
@jamestgriffiths.com
· Sep 9
Leaked files show a Chinese company is exporting the Great Firewall’s censorship technology
Geedge Networks is providing censorship capabilities to foreign governments, including those in Myanmar, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan
www.theglobeandmail.com
As part of a consortium of researchers and journalists, I spent the better part of a year digging into leaked documents from Chinese security company Geedge, which plays a pivotal role exporting the Great Firewall around the world: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/15c699a...
Reposted by James Griffiths
Ban a long time coming. Well established now that lobsters feel pain and boiling them alive (rather than killing swiftly beforehand) is a barbaric practice.
www.ft.com/content/8b07...
www.ft.com/content/8b07...
UK to ban boiling lobsters alive as animal welfare standards tightened
Method is still used in some restaurants but campaigners say this ‘torture’ is avoidable
www.ft.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Ban a long time coming. Well established now that lobsters feel pain and boiling them alive (rather than killing swiftly beforehand) is a barbaric practice.
www.ft.com/content/8b07...
www.ft.com/content/8b07...
in which I reveal I basically only listened to Jamie xx this year www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
From Spotify to Apple Music, Globe staff share their listening age and top songs of 2025
What we loved, listened to, and simply couldn’t escape on streaming this year
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:30 AM
in which I reveal I basically only listened to Jamie xx this year www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
Turnout flat at around 31% (slight uptick on 21, but smaller voter base).
4 years ago, ever-increasing political engagement was ended by Beijing’s imposition of a national-security law that has been wielded to dismantle Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society. www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
4 years ago, ever-increasing political engagement was ended by Beijing’s imposition of a national-security law that has been wielded to dismantle Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society. www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Hong Kong holds controlled election in shadow of national-security crackdown after deadly fire
Beijing’s effort to tamp down unrest ahead of the vote extended to foreign media who were issued a rare warning to temper disaster coverage
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Turnout flat at around 31% (slight uptick on 21, but smaller voter base).
4 years ago, ever-increasing political engagement was ended by Beijing’s imposition of a national-security law that has been wielded to dismantle Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society. www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
4 years ago, ever-increasing political engagement was ended by Beijing’s imposition of a national-security law that has been wielded to dismantle Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society. www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Western countries, led by the UK, are heading down slipper slope of censorship in campaign against VPNs, which is itself a reaction to flawed attempts to bully people into using age-checks to access adult (and plenty of non-adult) content: www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Cracking down on VPNs would see Western countries head down slippery slope of internet censorship
Many authoritarian countries have already adopted Chinese-style online controls and democracies are heading in a similar direction
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Western countries, led by the UK, are heading down slipper slope of censorship in campaign against VPNs, which is itself a reaction to flawed attempts to bully people into using age-checks to access adult (and plenty of non-adult) content: www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
"Hong Kong’s worst blaze in seven decades has exposed an ugly open secret of a murky and rapacious building renovation business that is plagued by bid-rigging and skyrocketing costs even as it staves off feeble official efforts to tackle collusive conduct." www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Exclusive | ‘Market is rotten’: Hong Kong fire exposes greedy building renovation business
Skyrocketing costs and stock of old estates turn an industry rife with bid-rigging and collusive conduct into a gold mine, experts say.
www.scmp.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:36 AM
"Hong Kong’s worst blaze in seven decades has exposed an ugly open secret of a murky and rapacious building renovation business that is plagued by bid-rigging and skyrocketing costs even as it staves off feeble official efforts to tackle collusive conduct." www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Reposted by James Griffiths
Hong Kong police raid construction company responsible for renos at public housing estate engulfed in flames yesterday, @jamestgriffiths.com reports. At least 83 dead, hundreds still unaccounted for, in territory's worst fire disaster since Second World War
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Hong Kong police raid company linked to Wang Fuk Court fire
At least 83 dead, hundreds missing in territory’s worst fire disaster since the Second World War
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Hong Kong police raid construction company responsible for renos at public housing estate engulfed in flames yesterday, @jamestgriffiths.com reports. At least 83 dead, hundreds still unaccounted for, in territory's worst fire disaster since Second World War
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Maybe this will work, but when they offered, for example, free MTR travel for District Council election in 2023, people happily took advantage of the savings and had a nice day out instead of voting. This seems even more likely to result in that.
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
Hong Kong to offer discounts, free pools and museums to boost Legco turnout
‘We want everyone to enjoy a happy and festive mood. The purpose of these government offers is to encourage people to vote,’ Eric Chan says.
www.scmp.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Maybe this will work, but when they offered, for example, free MTR travel for District Council election in 2023, people happily took advantage of the savings and had a nice day out instead of voting. This seems even more likely to result in that.
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...
POV: you give one interview to Chinese state media.
November 26, 2025 at 6:34 AM
POV: you give one interview to Chinese state media.
Reposted by James Griffiths
funny how a story about a law combating misinformation was itself completely made up and... misinformation
A new Chinese law regulating influencer speech has gotten applause from social media users and commentators who want similar policies in their own countries. But the truth is far from what's in the news and it's a sad reflection of our internet and media space.
wenhao.substack.com/p/anatomy-of...
wenhao.substack.com/p/anatomy-of...
Anatomy of a Fake Story
A new Chinese law aimed at reducing misinformation set off global discussion. But nobody got it right.
wenhao.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:50 AM
funny how a story about a law combating misinformation was itself completely made up and... misinformation
Reposted by James Griffiths
Terumaru, a bright young lightbulb and the mascot of the Tokyu Denki electric company, trapped in a door yesterday:
November 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Terumaru, a bright young lightbulb and the mascot of the Tokyu Denki electric company, trapped in a door yesterday:
Hong Kong "had two decades of spirited opposition politics, which took off in the final years of British colonial rule and grew into a pro-democracy coalition in the 2010s before being wiped out." hongkongfp.com/2025/11/03/h...
Hong Kong legislature now an 'echo chamber,' 4 years after shake-up
Departing lawmakers reflect how Hong Kong no longer tolerates even mild dissent in the legislative chamber, and that attempts to change the system from within have failed, according to scholars and ob...
hongkongfp.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Hong Kong "had two decades of spirited opposition politics, which took off in the final years of British colonial rule and grew into a pro-democracy coalition in the 2010s before being wiped out." hongkongfp.com/2025/11/03/h...
In case any residents of Gyeongju weren’t annoyed at the inconvenience associated with hosting APEC meetings, the authorities are blowing up people’s phones with 2-3 emergency alerts every day about traffic and facility closures.
October 31, 2025 at 12:03 AM
In case any residents of Gyeongju weren’t annoyed at the inconvenience associated with hosting APEC meetings, the authorities are blowing up people’s phones with 2-3 emergency alerts every day about traffic and facility closures.
"By controlling access, the British Government maintains a handle on the narrative of its colonial administration and on the broader history of Hong Kong." www.historyworkshop.org.uk/empire-decol...
October 23, 2025 at 3:52 AM
"By controlling access, the British Government maintains a handle on the narrative of its colonial administration and on the broader history of Hong Kong." www.historyworkshop.org.uk/empire-decol...
"Questions I fielded from diplomats, scholars, journalists ... revealed how distorted the picture of the US has become. The Party’s success in sealing out Western influence has also sealed in ignorance about the American policy process and political economy." www.choosingvictory.com/p/a-proud-su...
October 23, 2025 at 3:50 AM
"Questions I fielded from diplomats, scholars, journalists ... revealed how distorted the picture of the US has become. The Party’s success in sealing out Western influence has also sealed in ignorance about the American policy process and political economy." www.choosingvictory.com/p/a-proud-su...
Love this series from the Times highlighting environmental activism across all 50 states: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
50 States, 50 Fixes
A series about local solutions, and the people behind them, to environmental problems.
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Love this series from the Times highlighting environmental activism across all 50 states: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by James Griffiths
Good year to beat them at their national game
October 21, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Good year to beat them at their national game
Reposted by James Griffiths
poutine for every body
October 21, 2025 at 3:07 AM
poutine for every body
Beyond how vile many of these AI images are, NGOs and charities (particularly well-funded international ones) stepping back from paying for documentary photography is a real blow to the journalists who depend on those salaries or commissions to survive:
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
AI-generated ‘poverty porn’ fake images being used by aid agencies
Exclusive: Pictures depicting the most vulnerable and poorest people are being used in social media campaigns in the sector, driven by concerns over consent and cost
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Beyond how vile many of these AI images are, NGOs and charities (particularly well-funded international ones) stepping back from paying for documentary photography is a real blow to the journalists who depend on those salaries or commissions to survive:
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
"Almost no one in the US and the UK pushing for age verification laws really understands how different the internet feels when someone can see what you're doing." www.garbageday.email/p/the-great-...
October 18, 2025 at 6:58 AM
"Almost no one in the US and the UK pushing for age verification laws really understands how different the internet feels when someone can see what you're doing." www.garbageday.email/p/the-great-...
"The writ also cited an incident where [Magistrate] Ho ordered Thapa to pay a HK$100 cash bail for arriving to court a minute late, and another where she called the two barristers 'good boy.' Ho made insulting remarks, hindering the two lawyers’ defence, they said." hongkongfp.com/2025/10/15/h...
Hong Kong barristers order judge, prosecution to pay HK$20m for dragging out 91-day jaywalking trial
Two barristers have accused a magistrate judge and the prosecution of dragging out proceedings for monetary gain in a jaywalking case that lasted 91 days before the defendant was acquitted.
hongkongfp.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:57 AM
"The writ also cited an incident where [Magistrate] Ho ordered Thapa to pay a HK$100 cash bail for arriving to court a minute late, and another where she called the two barristers 'good boy.' Ho made insulting remarks, hindering the two lawyers’ defence, they said." hongkongfp.com/2025/10/15/h...
"If you're ever in a financially secure position, with expertise in your field and the independence to speak out, then I urge you to contribute your wisdom to the public domain, it will enrich your life and you won't regret it"
End of an era as Webb-site goes offline: webb-site.com/articles/shu...
End of an era as Webb-site goes offline: webb-site.com/articles/shu...
Webb-site Reports
webb-site.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:29 AM
"If you're ever in a financially secure position, with expertise in your field and the independence to speak out, then I urge you to contribute your wisdom to the public domain, it will enrich your life and you won't regret it"
End of an era as Webb-site goes offline: webb-site.com/articles/shu...
End of an era as Webb-site goes offline: webb-site.com/articles/shu...
Reposted by James Griffiths
collar gate is the latest instance of a trumped-up non-issue blossoming into a large-scale psychosis event – and possibly the dumbest. it's also the modern internet doing exactly what it was engineered to do
October 15, 2025 at 1:03 AM
collar gate is the latest instance of a trumped-up non-issue blossoming into a large-scale psychosis event – and possibly the dumbest. it's also the modern internet doing exactly what it was engineered to do
Baselines don't always have to shift in one direction.
"there were more than 50,000 eastern Australian humpback whales in 2024.
That's around 20,000 more individuals than the estimated pre-whaling population of the early 1900s."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
"there were more than 50,000 eastern Australian humpback whales in 2024.
That's around 20,000 more individuals than the estimated pre-whaling population of the early 1900s."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
These whales were hunted to 150 individuals. Now there are 50,000 of them
Once hunted almost to extinction, the population of humpback whales currently migrating down Australia's east coast has bounced back and is now greater than before whaling.
www.abc.net.au
October 15, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Baselines don't always have to shift in one direction.
"there were more than 50,000 eastern Australian humpback whales in 2024.
That's around 20,000 more individuals than the estimated pre-whaling population of the early 1900s."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
"there were more than 50,000 eastern Australian humpback whales in 2024.
That's around 20,000 more individuals than the estimated pre-whaling population of the early 1900s."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...