Enterprise
These are the tech companies censoring anti-China protests
Wave of Chinese censorship hits Western companies
After going through today’s global news, you might find yourself wondering: what the hell is going on with China? As of late, the country has absolutely dominated headlines all over the world. If you don’t live in any China-owned territory, these headlines are very likely about the recent controversies surrounding Western companies.
Following the wave of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, China has started controlling disseminated information about the incidents. Of course, the controversy of Chinese censorship has always existed throughout modern history. However, this time around, the Chinese government is tapping its resources in the corporate world.
Western companies have also started censoring pro-Hong Kong sentiments among their representatives and official channels. Naturally, the general public is largely accusing these companies of selling out to the Chinese money-making regime.
Most of the corporate clout has eked out only this week. However, the controversy has existed as early as the first major Hong Kong protest. Let’s run through this tenuous history.
Come fly the hostile skies
Naturally, the first spark of Chinese censorship started in Hong Kong’s home turf. In August, the protests came to a huge head when protestors swarmed the Hong Kong International Airport, grounding several flights for several days. In the middle of all this, Hong Kong’s own Cathay Pacific found itself in a corporate nightmare. Who should the company (and its employees) support: China or Hong Kong?
Unsurprisingly, several Cathay Pacific employees have come out in support of the protests. The higher-ups were not happy. Spurred by Chinese intervention, the company’s managers have suspended employees involved in the protests.
Because of the relative infancy of the issue, Cathay Pacific’s troubles drowned in a sea of larger protests that followed the airport protest.
Clock’s TikTok-ing
The tech world got its first taste of Chinese intervention through the popular short-video social media app, TikTok. Created by the Chinese developer ByteDance, TikTok is a lot more susceptible to government intervention. Case in point, the app has banned all anti-China content. The ban covers any mentions of Tiananmen Square and Tibet.
Strangely enough, TikTok was created for a more global audience, compared to the developer’s more Chinese-targeted Doujin app. Regardless, TikTok enforced the more stringent ruling across the entire platform. The ban was the world’s first taste of Chinese censorship. Unbeknownst to the world at the time, the situation was about to get worse.
Houston, we have a problem
This week, NBA started the larger party. Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted a pro-Hong Kong image. The image came with the statement, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” The obvious political opinion was shut down immediately after the tweet. NBA heads, including Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and commissioner Adamn Silver, reiterated that individual opinions don’t represent the organization. Morey himself issued an apology soon after.
Unfortunately, the damage was done on both sides. Chinese companies have suspended cooperation with the NBA, especially with the Houston Rockets. Yao Ming’s own Chinese Basketball Association ceased its partnership with the Texan team. Tencent. Additionally, Tencent has ceased its livestreams of NBA matchups with the Rockets. Nike has also pulled its Houston Rockets merchandise from its Chinese stores.
On the Western end, the general public is calling for more integral responsibility on the part of the NBA. The NBA has always touted itself as an inclusive organization, drafting players from all over the world. The inclusivity, however, does not apply when profits are involved, according to Western protests.

Image source: Reddit
Related to this, the ESPN has also stopped reporting on any of the NBA’s political opinions. Curiously, the broadcast company has recently televised a map of China. The map includes the 9-dash demarcation line that represents the country’s claims on the disputed South China Sea.
An Apple a day doesn’t keep China away
Concurrent with NBA’s woes, Apple has also found itself in the crossfire. Recently, the Chinese government has urged the company to pull offensive apps from the App Store in the region. The order includes HKmap.live and the Quartz news app. Apparently, these apps revealed critical police movements to protestors who had the app. Soon after, Apple gave in, joining the growing number of companies succumbing to Chinese pressure.
Apple pulled the apps. The company’s head honcho issued an embattling defense for his actions. In an internal memo, he said:
“However, over the past several days we received credible information, from the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau, as well as from users in Hong Kong, that the app was being used maliciously to target individual officers for violence and to victimise individuals and property where no police are present. This use put the app in violation of Hong Kong law.”
However, Hong Kong protestors have disputed his claims, reiterating the obvious political motivation behind the move. Like the NBA, Cook’s statement is remarkably non-confrontational, seeking to please both sides in the conversation.
Not a-MEI-zing
Videogame company Blizzard is likewise facing immense backlash for similar decisions. Earlier this week, Blizzard censored and banned a professional Hearthstone player, Blitzchung, from its tournaments. The ban also strips him of prize money that he fairly won at a recent tournament. In that tourney, he went off on a pro-Hong Kong tirade during his victory speech. “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age,” he declared. The speech was immediately cut short and removed from Blizzard’s official channels.
More than the NBA or Apple, Blizzard’s action sparked humungous global outrage. The fine went beyond simple censorship, stripping a worthy winner from rightful prizes. In defense, Blizzard invoked its right to penalize players for offending significant portions of the population.
Regardless, the public is already calling for a huge boycott against Blizzard’s products. Gamers have started unsubscribing and uninstalling popular games World of Warcraft and Overwatch. American lawmakers have asked for formal investigations against Blizzard’s actions. Pro-Hong Kong protestors have also started using a Chinese Overwatch character, Mei, as one of their protest icons. On the other hand, rivaling game companies have come out in support for Blitzchung.
The cost of luxury
Outside of the tech world, the lifestyle industry is also feeling the pressure. Apparel brands Gap and Zara have recently altered their websites. Previously, their websites included Taiwan and Hong Kong as individual countries, which China has requested to change.
People are also investigating whether Disney is censoring Winnie the Pooh in certain countries. According to a Reddit thread, Winnie the Pooh’s official site redirects to Disney’s official site in some countries. The internet has compared Winnie the Pooh’s appearance to President Xi Jinping, sparking a Chinese war against the cartoon character.
After this week, the corporate world is on notice. Who are they siding with? For some, the temptation of more profits is more important. For others, their integrity remains intact.
Enterprise
A closer look at Apex Guard and the world behind OPPO’s quality promise
I went inside Binhai Bay to see how OPPO is building its next chapter of smartphone quality.
OPPO introduced Apex Guard, a full technology suite designed to protect the user experience with stronger hardware and smarter software.
The new concept shows how OPPO is redefining smartphone quality by focusing on long-term reliability and dependability, and a user journey that stays smooth for years.
I saw this vision firsthand during an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Binhai Bay Campus, OPPO’s global headquarters and R&D hub.
The moment I stepped inside, I understood how deeply this company values the idea of quality. Every corner of the campus felt intentional. Engineers tested materials behind glass panels and the machines ran stress simulations.
Rooms were dedicated to design exploration and long-term validation. Walking through its corridors felt like moving through the inner workings of a promise.
OPPO builds quality into a device long before it becomes a device.
OPPO’s next step toward elevated quality
Apex Guard reflects OPPO’s goal of addressing real user needs with an end-to-end system that strengthens every part of a smartphone.
It reaches across all product lines and raises quality across three dimensions. OPPO focused on durability that protects users in unpredictable moments.
Through breakthroughs in materials and design, OPPO developed Ultra High Strength Steel and AM04 aerospace-grade aluminum alloy to withstand daily wear and heavier stress.
Armour Shield structural reinforcement adds another layer of protection that stays reliable even in unexpected situations like sudden drops or water exposure.
“The goal is simple: a device should feel solid in every scenario.”
Beyond the product lifespan
Apex Guard supports long-term reliability. One of the key innovations is the OPPO Silicon Carbon Battery with its customized spherical silicon-carbon material.
It improves long-lasting safety while extending battery life by up to 400 additional cycles. With this technology, OPPO devices stay closer to their original performance for a longer period, even after years of use.
OPPO also works with international testing organizations like TÜV Rheinland, TÜV SÜD, and SGS, and follows standards that exceed typical industry requirements.
Devices pass through multiple rounds of strict testing, including more than 180 assessments that begin before R&D and continue until the end of the product lifecycle. Even after-sales services follow a higher standard to ensure users feel supported beyond the purchase.
Rethinking quality through next-level software smoothness
Since smoothness is one of the most noticeable indicators of smartphone quality, OPPO made software a major part of Apex Guard.
In ColorOS 16, the All-New Luminous Rendering Engine brings the first Unified Animation Architecture on Android, creating consistent movement across the entire system.
Chip-Level Dynamic Frame Sync Technology helps the device react faster when multitasking, while Sensor Offload shifts critical sensor tasks to the SoC to reduce power consumption, especially when recording 4K 60fps video.
ColorOS 16 also introduces Instant Refresh to help reduce data fragmentation on entry-level devices. OPPO performs 48-, 60-, and 72-month aging tests to ensure long-term responsiveness.
The company developed new systems to measure smoothness more accurately, including the OPPO Smoothness Baseline Test and the industry-first Parallel Animation Standard 6 Zero, which evaluates lag, latency, flicker, crashes, mislaunches, and freezes.
These standards apply across the entire lineup, from A Series to Find Series.
At the home of OPPO quality
OPPO continues to expand the Binhai Bay Campus to support its vision for the future.
The campus brings together more advanced equipment, centralized teams, and specialized laboratories designed to test quality from every angle.
The Materials Lab studies long-term durability while the Intelligent Terminal Testing Lab pushes devices through real-world challenges.
Meanwhile, the Power Consumption Intelligent Lab evaluates energy efficiency, and the Communication Lab ensures strong connectivity.
Standing inside these spaces and watching the process unfold made the idea of next-level quality feel more real.
It is not a statement but a system built into every decision and test. Apex Guard is simply the name OPPO has given to the work it has been doing all along.
Enterprise
AgiBot robots can now learn skills on the factory floor
Robotics company deploys real-world reinforcement learning system
Robotics company AgiBot has successfully deployed its Real-World Reinforcement Learning (RW-RL) system on a pilot production line with Longcheer Technology.
The company specializes in embodied intelligence, and the project marks the first application of RW-RL in real industrial robotics.
It connects advanced AI innovation with large-scale production, signaling a new phase in the evolution of intelligent automation for precision manufacturing.
Precision manufacturing lines have long relied on rigid automation systems that demand complex fixture design, extensive tuning, and costly reconfiguration.
Where AgiBot’s RW-RL system comes in is addressing such pain points. It enables robots to learn and adapt directly on the factory floor.
Within just minutes, robots can acquire new skills, achieve stable deployment, and maintain long-term performance without degradation.
The system also autonomously compensates for common variations, such as part position and tolerance shifts
Meanwhile, during line changes or model transitions, only minimal adjustments and standardized deployment steps are required. This dramatically improves flexibility while cutting time and cost.
Moreover, AgiBot’s system allows for flexible reconfiguration. Task or product changes can be accommodated through fast retraining; such solution exhibits generality across workplace layouts and production lines.
This milestone signifies a deep integration between perception-decision intelligence and motion control. And it represents a critical step forward unifying algorithmic intelligence and physical execution.
Unlike many laboratory demonstrations, AgiBot’s system also achieved validation under near-production conditions. It has completed a full loop from cutting-edge research to industrial-grade verification.
Moving forward, AgiBot and Longcheer plan to extend real-world reinforcement learning to a broader range of scenarios. These include consumer electronics and automotive components, with focus on developing modular and rapidly deployable robot solutions.
Once again, Warner Bros. Discovery is up for sale. Right now, the entertainment giant does not have a new owner yet. But, of course, there is a growing list of potential suitors. One of which has seemingly made its presence known. Netflix is reportedly considering a bid on its streaming rival.
In 2022, the then-named WarnerMedia, owned by AT&T, completed a blockbuster merger with Discovery. The new Warner Bros. Discovery brought the entire Warner library, HBO, Discovery, and Cartoon Network under a single umbrella. The resulting streaming service, dubbed HBO Max, now has enough content to rival Netflix and Disney+.
Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery put itself up for sale. Almost immediately, competitors have expressed interest in buying the library, including Amazon, Apple, and Netflix.
Over the weekend, Netflix has hired Moelis & Co, an investment bank, to evaluate a potential offer for the company, as reported by Reuters. Though it’s not an official bid yet, it’s a big show of interest from the other streaming giant.
According to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, the company will evaluate what value the entire library can offer Netflix. However, Sarandos isn’t interested in acquiring the legacy cable networks currently under the Warner umbrella, such as CNN and TNT.
SEE ALSO: Max is rebranding once again to HBO Max
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