bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Masha Borak

The endless stream of videos in one of the world’s most popular apps came to an abrupt halt in India this week. TikTok was among 59 apps that the Indian government blocked on Monday on national security grounds following a deadly clash between troops along the Indian-Chinese border.
The new ban goes further than simply removing the Chinese apps from local app stores. Authorities have also ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to bar access to these apps, which includes big names like WeChat, Clash of Kings and Kwai. That means even users who already have the apps installed will still be locked out.
It’s a move that could have been taken right out of China’s playbook.
China has long defended its use of what’s been dubbed the Great Firewall to block foreign websites and apps, citing its rights to preserve “cyber sovereignty.” Facebook, Google and Twitter are all missing on China’s internet. Now it appears that the country is getting a taste of its own medicine.
The story of China’s Great Firewall, the world’s most sophisticated censorship system
“China has, along with Russia, been the most active proponent of cyber sovereignty for a long time, which is a big part of the reason it has a completely different digital ecosystem than the West,” said Lars Gjesvik, research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs who focuses mainly on cybersecurity.
China maintains that states have a sovereign right to control the internet within their borders, arguing that each nation should govern the internet as it sees fit. China has pitched the idea to BRICS and submitted a working paper on the topic to the United Nations last year.

Some people now believe India is following China’s lead and enforcing its own version of cyber sovereignty.
The country has shut down apps before, including TikTok. Various parts of India also routinely cut off access to the internet entirely. In 2019 alone, local authorities blocked internet access 106 times, according to the Internet Shutdowns, a site that tracks service cutoffs across the country.
The longest shutdown was in Kashmir, which lasted 204 days. It came after the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped the region’s constitutional autonomy, resulting in unrest. ISPs were asked to install a firewall and whitelist certain websites like education and government platforms and online banking. The solution isn’t as sophisticated as China's Great Firewall, but it’s a step in that direction, argues Nikhil Pahwa, a net neutrality activist and founder of the tech policy publication MediaNama.
But India also saw something you’re less likely to see in China: People have challenged internet shutdowns in court.
“In a democracy like India, it’s always going to be difficult to build a firewall,” Pahwa said.

The country could be looking to forge its own path.
Cyber sovereignty remains a nebulous concept that’s been viewed both positively and negatively, writes Trisha Ray, junior fellow at the India-based think tank Observer Research Foundation. When countries outline their own sovereignty concerns, they aren’t necessarily endorsing China’s views, she told Abacus.
There’s also another argument for countries to exercise more control over internet access: Fighting digital colonialism. Around the world, people have become increasingly concerned that digital infrastructure and personal data have become concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants -- typically companies from the US or China.
Facebook, Google and many other Silicon Valley champions have been diligently collecting our data and using it to improve their products. This has effectively given them monopolistic power, according to the digital colonialism argument. This makes it difficult for local competitors in other countries to grow and build their capabilities.
This is especially true for developing nations, where internet access is still growing. This makes them attractive markets for the likes of Facebook and TikTok, which want to make an early impression on the millions of users going online for the first time.
“The idea of digital colonization was first floated in India in 2015, and there has been a strong move towards tech-nationalism ever since,” Nikhil said.
Is Russia building its own version of China's Great Firewall?
Cybersecurity is another concern. Gjesvik said that cyber sovereignty used to be a niche issue, mostly discussed in countries like China, Russia and Iran. But over the last five years, following the leaks of US National Security Agency documents from Edward Snowden, more countries have found it acceptable to argue for some sort of national governance over digital technologies, he added.
India banned the 59 apps this week on cybersecurity grounds, although it hasn’t ventured into cyber sovereignty arguments. Observer Research Foundation’s Ray also noted that authorities are concerned about protecting user data.
There are also worries over potential disinformation campaigns. TikTok, for instance, has been extremely popular in India. Since 2017, the app has been downloaded 660 million times, according to Sensor Tower. Both the app and its parent company ByteDance have already faced scrutiny from US lawmakers.
But not everyone is convinced that India’s latest app ban is all about security or sovereignty. After all, such concerns against China aren’t new.
To people like Gjesvik and Pahwa, it could simply be a tit-for-tat move.


By forcing internet providers to block Chinese apps, India takes a page out of China’s playbook

Chinese-made TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Baidu Maps and WeChat are among 59 Chinese apps India banned this week, citing "security of state and public order,” among other reasons. (Picture: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg)

India has asked its ISPs to block app servers from Chinese apps that have been banned from the country. (Picture: NOAH SEELAM / AFP)

The border clash in the Galwan Valley in June reportedly led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers. China has not reported its casualties. (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP)

Abacus

Tech


China has long banned foreign apps and websites, arguing that it has a right to “cyber sovereignty”
India’s ban on 59 Chinese apps has China’s tech giants facing restrictions similar to those on international competitors back home



By forcing internet providers to block Chinese apps, India takes a page out of China’s playbook

China has long banned foreign apps and websites, arguing that it has a right to “cyber sovereignty” India’s ban on 59 Chinese apps has China’s tech giants facing restrictions similar to those on international competitors back home

China has long banned foreign apps and websites, arguing that it has a right to “cyber sovereignty”

India’s ban on 59 Chinese apps has China’s tech giants facing restrictions similar to those on international competitors back home