New Report on Investigating China’s Digital Transnational Repression on Uyghurs
The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) has been hosting an Information Controls Fellow through the Open Technology Fund (OTF) since mid-2024. OTF is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that supports innovative projects, tools, and technologies designed to empower individuals in repressive environments to communicate securely, access information freely, and engage online without fear of censorship or surveillance.
The OTF fellow, Reyhan Topal, is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Augusta University. Topal’s fellowship focuses on investigating China’s digital transnational repression of the Uyghur diaspora, specifically examining the collaboration between China, host states, and technology companies.
The research explores how China cooperates with host states to implement digital repression and the role of technology companies in either mitigating or exacerbating these risks. By collecting evidence of the tools and methods used against Uyghur communities, Topal aims to develop practical solutions to help journalists, activists, and others safeguard their human rights online.
The fellowship has delved into the digital tools and tactics employed by the Chinese government to suppress dissent, monitor Uyghur diaspora communities, and silence cross-border activism.
After roughly a year of working on this project, UTJD, OTF and our fellow, Ms. Topal are pleased to finally release the final version of the report.
Report’s overview
Reyhan Topal’s final report, “Digital Transnational Repression of Uyghurs: The Costs of Dissent Beyond Borders,” provides a critical examination of how digital tools, including deepfakes, account takeovers, and state-coerced surveillance, are used to silence the Uyghur diaspora. Based on trauma-informed interviews with Uyghurs across five countries, the research highlights a sophisticated “digital toolbox” utilized by the Chinese government to harass and monitor dissidents even after they have left the country.
A key finding is the significant structural barrier to protection in host states, where a lack of specialized legal frameworks and negative past experiences with authorities often prevent victims from reporting these crimes.
As the report underscores the resilience of the Uyghur community in lobbying for reform, it calls for urgent policy interventions and improved technical safeguards to protect human rights defenders from evolving transnational threats.