When newsrooms depend on state‑owned footage, the licensor can revoke permission after publication and trigger takedowns worldwide without courts. Reuters pulled its Xi–Putin 'longevity' exchange after China’s CCTV withdrew rights and objected to the edit. Contract terms become a de facto censorship tool across borders.
— It shows authoritarian states can shape international coverage via intellectual‑property leverage, bypassing legal safeguards for press freedom.
BeauHD
2025.10.04
72% relevant
Indonesia’s suspension of TikTok’s 'electronic systems' registration operates as a de facto kill switch: by withholding or conditioning licensing/registration on data handovers, authorities can force platform compliance or block access—akin to using licensing terms to compel takedowns.
Adam Kirsch
2025.09.10
78% relevant
The article centers on the same Xi–Putin 'longevity/immortality' exchange that later became subject to a CCTV licensing pull noted elsewhere; it shows how a single clip can shape discourse about authoritarian tech ambitions while also being vulnerable to post‑publication takedown pressure.
msmash
2025.09.09
100% relevant
Reuters withdrew a four‑minute Xi–Putin video after receiving a removal demand and license revocation from CCTV’s lawyer.