When Disney+ launched in Hong Kong, subscribers found that one episode of The Simpsons had been removed, owing to its references to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in China. PEN America has issued a response to the matter, condemning Disney for censoring the episode in a region where China's policies do not technically apply.
Director of research at PEN America James Tager wrote, "Disney's decision to remove the Tiananmen Square episode of the Simpsons from view in Hong Kong is yet another distressing sign that some of the United State’s most significant companies will uphold their commitment to freedom of expression only when it is politically convenient for them to do so."
He added, "What's perhaps most concerning is the implication, reported by the New York Times, that Disney may have preemptively self-censored the episode even without being asked to by Chinese officials." Tager concluded by stating, "This type of preemptive self-censorship represents the end-game of all censors: to have the targets of censorship police themselves."
The New York Times report Tager cited referred to a statement made by the University of Hong Kong's Dr. Grace Leung, who suggested that Disney+ censored itself without prompting. "Disney obviously sent out a clear signal to the local audience that it will remove controversial programs in order to please [the Chinese government]." She added in the report that Disney is willing to sacrifice Hong Kong as a market for access to audiences in mainland China.
There have been some who argue that the censoring of the Season 16 Simpsons episode, "Goo Goo Gai Pan," was necessary due to the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in June 2020. The law does impact media, but only film and television. It does not apply to streaming.
On top of jabs at former Chinese paramount Mao Zedong, The Simpsons included at least two references to the Tiananmen Square Massacre: an allusion to the Tank Man photo and a shot of a plaque reading "Tien An Men Square: On this site, in 1989, nothing happened," which parodies the Chinese Communist Party-ruled government's attempts to supress the event in China. The censorship of the massacre has been a growing concern in Hong Kong, where a museum filled with exhibits commemorating the massacre was shut down. In addition, the annual June 4th vigil marking the massacre was effectively banned, with the organization hosting them forced to disband.
Source: PEN America, New York Times