An episode of "The Simpsons" that mentions "forced labor" in China has been removed from Disney's Hong Kong streaming service, where a national security statute has prompted censorship worries.
The episode — "One Angry Lisa," the second episode of the current season — was not available on the Hong Kong edition of the Disney+ streaming service, according to NBC News, but it was unclear when it was removed.
The Financial Times was the first to report on the episode's absence.
The character Marge Simpson is in a virtual biking lesson when the instructor shows photographs of China's Great Wall and adds, "Behold the wonders of China: bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children produce cellphones."
The Chinese government dismisses allegations of forced labor and claims that Hong Kong's liberties have been diminished as a result of the national security law, which Beijing implemented in 2020 and claims was required to restore peace following months of anti-government protests.
This is the second "Simpsons" episode to be removed from the Hong Kong streaming service due to an unfavourable China reference. Hong Kong is a former British colony that was promised a significant degree of autonomy when it returned to Chinese administration in 1997. The previous episode, which was originally broadcast in 2005 and refers to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, is no longer available in Hong Kong since Disney+ launched there in 2021. The service is not available on the Chinese mainland.
When NBC News approached Disney, the company declined to comment publicly. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said Tuesday that the Film Censorship Ordinance, which was amended in 2021 to allow officials to ban films deemed "contrary" to national security interests, did not apply to streaming services and that the government did not comment on individual business decisions.
The spokesperson went on to say that the four offenses established under the national security law — subversion, secession, terrorism, and coordination with foreign forces — as well as the consequences for each were clearly specified.
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