Disney+ has removed yet another episode of The Simpsons in Hong Kong, once again owing to potential backlash from authorities in China. The reason appears to be a reference made to forced labor practices happening across China.
The Season 34 episode "One Angry Lisa" has been removed from the Disney+ streaming service in Hong Kong, which is a special autonomous region and previously enjoyed a more liberal censorship policy than Mainland China. This was due to the inclusion of the line, "Behold the wonders of China. Bitcoin mines, forced labour camps where children make smartphones." While restrictions on film and television have grown tighter since the draconian national security law was imposed on the city in 2020, Financial Times reported that authorities stated the law "does not apply to streaming services."
Disney and Other Companies in China
In fact, one expert, associate professor Kenny Ng of the Academy of Film at Hong Kong Baptist University, suggested Disney likely removed the episode as a preemptive measure and that it had "more to do with the company’s ties, current and future, in mainland China." It should be noted that Disney has theme parks in China and that its subsidiary, Marvel Studios, recently secured release for its major films, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in Mainland China.
China has been widely criticized by the international community for allowing or even enforcing forced labor practices. On top of the severe working conditions for many factory workers across the country, China and its Communist Party-led government has been condemned for its persecution of Uyghurs, many of which are subjected to work placements in factories in and around Xinjiang tantamount to slavery. These factories produce a range of goods exported around the world and have been linked to companies including Amazon, Samsung, Walmart, Intel and many more. While bodies such as the United Nations do recognize evidence of forced labor, they have not officially recognized the Uyghur genocide China is accused of committing, though countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have.
As previously mentioned, this is not the first time the streaming service has removed an episode of The Simpsons bearing a jab at Chinese authorities. Back in 2021, it was found that Disney+ had removed the Season 16 episode "Goo Goo Gai Pan" in Hong Kong, owing to a reference to the Tiananmen Square massacre. Beyond streaming, references to Tiananmen Square have been made punishable by the national security law. After the law came into effect in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020, annual vigils and even museums dedicated to June 4 (the date of the massacre) were forced to shut down.
The Simpsons is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Financial Times