GreatFire, in partnership with the "六四記憶‧人權博物館" (June 4th Memory and Human Rights Museum), today announced the activation of its new "Instant Audience" project, a scalable tool designed to deliver uncensored content into heavily censored environments.

 

“Instant Audience” is being deployed this month to mark the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen protests and massacre by amplifying access to historical resources from the virtual museum (https://8964museum.com).

 

Leveraging innovative mirror websites and cutting-edge AI-optimized pages, the campaign bypasses China’s stringent internet restrictions, ensuring hundreds of thousands gain access to crucial historical information and narratives typically erased by government censorship.

 

“On the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, 'Instant Audience' aims to illuminate the events surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, directly challenging the official erasure of historical truths," said Charlie Smith, co-founder of GreatFire and project director.

 

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The initiative prominently features content from the virtual "June 4th Memory and Human Rights Museum," a unique online museum preserving critical memories and testimonies from 1989 and beyond. Curated by renowned Chinese journalist and writer Chang Ping (長平), the museum documents China's struggle for democracy and human rights, ensuring that narratives of resistance remain alive and accessible.

 

"Safeguarding memories and reconstructing discourse around the 1989 democracy movement is vital. Collaborations like 'Instant Audience' help break through censorship barriers, ensuring our collective historical consciousness endures," remarked Chang Ping.

 

In 2020, following the rapid enactment of Hong Kong’s National Security Law, the June 4th candlelight vigil was banned for the first time. In response, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASM) launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a permanent digital space to preserve historical memory, which gave rise to the online museum.

 

Using an unconventional and innovative approach that does not require ads or promotional campaigns, GreatFire has expanded its censorship circumvention arsenal. This strategy does not rely on users seeking out content; instead, it brings the content to them—spreading historically significant material deep into China’s digital space without triggering censorship mechanisms.

 

“What I find interesting in this initiative is that the goal is not to help users scale the Great Firewall to seek out censored information but rather to help the content itself penetrate deep into the firewall. " Chang Ping commented. “It’s fantastic to finally have the opportunity to show this content directly to users inside mainland China—especially younger generations, many of whom have never even heard of these events."

 

Smith further emphasized: "The 'Instant Audience' project is a digital equivalent of historical leaflet drops—disseminating truth widely and anonymously. While we may not know exactly who reads these messages, the ripple effect could significantly reshape perceptions and foster deeper awareness."

 

"Instant Audience" will operate intensively for at least one month, after which GreatFire plans to share indicative data and insights on reach and engagement from within China. This data-driven transparency will both evaluate the project’s reach and inform future advocacy.

 

"Our ambition extends far beyond Tiananmen-related content," added Smith. "We aim to bring international media, censored Chinese social media, and critical public interest information directly to users’ screens through this channel. This approach complements our other projects like FreeWeibo and FreeWeChat, and we’re already exploring how to deploy Instant Audience in other regions under authoritarian censorship."

 

While the June 4th Museum remains steadfast in its mission to preserve and share the memory of the 1989 democracy movement, GreatFire continues to explore new technologies and strategies to challenge online censorship in China and beyond. Their collaboration on 'Instant Audience' illustrates how memory preservation and anti-censorship innovation can intersect to bring historically significant content to broader audiences.

 

For media inquiries:

 

Chang Ping, Journalist, June 4th Memory and Human Rights Museum Curator: changping201801@gmail.com

 

Charlie Smith, Co-Founder and Instant Audience Project Director: charlie@greatfire.org

 

Benjamin Ismail, Campaign and Advocacy Director: benjamin@greatfire.org