Apple Peiqing Ni, a 27-year-old Chinese activist living in the UK, has been subjected to a barrage of abusive deepfake posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The posts, which she believes originate from a pro-regime bot, falsely depict her as sexually promiscuous and a heavy drug user. Despite reporting the abuse, X initially informed her that the content did not violate its rules.
Details of the Abuse
Ni, who moved to the UK in 2019 to study, is the founder of the UK-based China Dissent Network. The abuse included 12 posts tagging her, featuring fake photographs and videos. Captions described her as having “chronically chaotic sexual relationships” and being a heavy drug user. One post falsely claimed she had been “beaten badly on the red streets of London while protesting with other anti-China groups,” calling it “perfect retribution.” This appeared to reference an attack on a male activist at a sit-in organized by Ni on Trafalgar Square in March.
Timing and Reporting
The posts followed Ni’s announcement that she would attend a commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4 in Sutton, south London. After reporting the posts, X’s automated systems determined they did not breach rules on harassment or violent speech. A subsequent complaint to X’s support service was also rejected. This occurred despite X’s rules prohibiting “malicious, unreciprocated targeting” intended to humiliate or degrade.
Account Suspension After Guardian Inquiry
The account was suspended only hours after the Guardian raised the decisions with X’s press office. Ni was later informed that X acted in response to “different reports” about the content. The incident raises questions about X’s internal systems. Ni expressed frustration, stating, “I posted a poster for the Tiananmen Square massacre commemoration, and right after that, the account made deepfake images. They’ve been tagging me since they started.”
Police Response and Ongoing Concerns
Ni contacted the UK police, who visited her but said they could not act because X is an American company and the account holder could not be identified. They advised her to report to X, which she did, along with friends and members. Ni recently founded the China Dissent Network to create a safe space for Chinese dissidents and works with UK-China Transparency on free speech campaigns for Hong Kong and Chinese students.
Harassment of Family
Ni claims her parents in China have been contacted by secret police due to her activism. “My parents are being harassed, told their business will be affected, and my grandpa’s grave will be dug out if I continue,” she said. She noted that one abusive post correctly mentioned she owns a cat, suggesting profiling. “I feel like I might be followed or watched,” she added.
Broader Context
Concerns about antisemitic and anti-Muslim content on X led to an agreement between UK regulator Ofcom and the platform in June to review illegal hate and terror content within 24 hours of reporting. However, Ni believes there is a lack of interest in cracking down on harassment against Chinese dissidents. X did not respond to a request for comment.
