Sneaking Chinese Roblox Users Over The Firewall

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A few months ago I gained access to the Chinese version of Roblox and tried communicating with users living behind The Great Firewall. Cultural and language barriers quickly collapsed as we discovered we have way more in common than previously realized.

On September 1st, 2021, the Chinese Government introduced new gaming regulations that required all games to verify the identity of their players through China's National ID system, making Luobu inaccessible to foreigners. All footage was recorded before this date.

Special thanks to Waisenchun, DoubleHexagon, Hanako, NotesInBetween, SingleDog and hugoyie for helping organize the interviews.

GO PLAY RUNKER: https://www.roblox.com/games/3461767162/Runker-51-Voice

thumbnail by https://twitter.com/tinyanimator
luobu tech support by https://twitter.com/DoubleHexagon01
translation by Waisenchun
64 museum characters by brickimagination

CHAPTERS
00:00 How Chinese Roblox Works
02:00 Meeting a Chinese Roblox User
04:36 Interviewing a Chinese Roblox User
07:10 Interview 2
09:24 "June 4th" Roblox Museum
11:10 Outro

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WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:05.934
[Mandarin] Hello American

00:00:14.034 --> 00:00:15.100
Did you know

00:00:15.167 --> 00:00:17.867
there's a chinese version of roblox

00:00:17.867 --> 00:00:18.934
not a knockoff

00:00:18.934 --> 00:00:22.434
but an official branch with their own servers

00:00:22.434 --> 00:00:23.700
their own rules

00:00:24.067 --> 00:00:26.067
even their own chat filter

00:00:27.467 --> 00:00:28.500
It's flooding

00:00:31.467 --> 00:00:35.900
My social credit score has just dropped 100 points.

00:00:35.967 --> 00:00:37.300
Going to deputy

00:00:37.434 --> 00:00:39.334
The reason this exists is because

00:00:39.334 --> 00:00:42.034
China has banned regular roblox

00:00:42.034 --> 00:00:44.567
in order to regain access to the Chinese market

00:00:44.567 --> 00:00:47.100
Roblox created a separate version of their platform

00:00:47.100 --> 00:00:48.000
called "Luo Bu"

00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.167
And if you want your game to be available on it

00:00:50.167 --> 00:00:53.267
you have to follow this incredibly long list of rules

00:00:53.367 --> 00:00:54.567
which include things like

00:00:54.834 --> 00:00:56.367
NO scary content

00:00:56.634 --> 00:01:00.500
NO content that relates to any political stand or viewpoint

00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:01.734
Oh, here's a fun one

00:01:01.934 --> 00:01:04.467
NO dead human or animal bodies

00:01:18.167 --> 00:01:20.067
This is seriously what you have to go through

00:01:20.067 --> 00:01:21.900
to get your game approved in China

00:01:21.900 --> 00:01:24.533
Why would anyone prefer this over regular roblox

00:01:24.534 --> 00:01:27.967
Why don't Chinese users just get a VPN and bypass the sensors

00:01:28.134 --> 00:01:28.734
Well actually

00:01:28.967 --> 00:01:29.634
they do

00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:33.400
anyone can download a VPN which is legal in china by the way

00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:34.034
and say

00:01:34.267 --> 00:01:35.100
fuck this

00:01:35.267 --> 00:01:36.934
I like seeing dead bodies,

00:01:36.934 --> 00:01:37.867
and blood,

00:01:37.867 --> 00:01:39.267
and scary content

00:01:39.267 --> 00:01:42.167
The main recent chinese user still use "Luo Bu Le Xi"

00:01:42.167 --> 00:01:43.567
is because on "Luo Bu"

00:01:43.600 --> 00:01:45.300
everyone speaks chinese

00:01:45.334 --> 00:01:48.134
everyone's kind of united under the same language

00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:49.167
With a little bit of help

00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.567
I was able to gain access to this platform

00:01:51.567 --> 00:01:53.433
and communicate with some of these users

00:01:53.434 --> 00:01:54.134
Some of which

00:01:54.334 --> 00:01:56.034
I was even able to convince to meet me

00:01:56.034 --> 00:01:58.434
on the other side of the great firewall

00:01:58.567 --> 00:02:00.434
on international roblox

00:02:00.534 --> 00:02:01.834
in my own game

00:02:18.634 --> 00:02:19.834
[Mandarin] trash game

00:02:19.867 --> 00:02:20.867
trash game

00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:21.767
Hello

00:02:23.734 --> 00:02:24.500
fake

00:02:29.967 --> 00:02:30.667
fake

00:02:32.434 --> 00:02:34.900
[Mandarin] You are so cool, can I follow you?

00:02:35.100 --> 00:02:37.400
Everybody hates the fake game

00:02:37.467 --> 00:02:38.067
yo

00:02:38.067 --> 00:02:39.367
you speak english?

00:02:39.367 --> 00:02:39.934
yup

00:02:40.200 --> 00:02:43.233
why don't you get a VPN and use american roblox

00:02:44.634 --> 00:02:46.767
I have a popular game you can try

00:02:47.134 --> 00:02:48.600
I get it too

00:02:48.734 --> 00:02:49.534
I'm the owner

00:02:49.534 --> 00:02:51.200
it's called runker 51

00:02:51.434 --> 00:02:52.834
wanna to go there instead

00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:55.467
I can give you rocket launchers and free money

00:02:55.467 --> 00:02:56.033
okay

00:02:56.267 --> 00:02:57.767
what's your robots username

00:02:57.934 --> 00:03:00.167
XX777931

00:03:09.334 --> 00:03:10.700
Welcome to roblox

00:03:10.700 --> 00:03:12.034
and runker51

00:03:15.067 --> 00:03:16.667
get in i wanna show you something

00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:18.867
something you won't see on the luobu

00:03:30.767 --> 00:03:31.567
look

00:03:31.567 --> 00:03:33.000
just like hong kong

00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:49.000
i gave you internet molotovs

00:03:50.567 --> 00:03:52.767
i am having breakfast

00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:21.167
After the experience with giao

00:04:21.367 --> 00:04:23.400
I decided to assemble a team

00:04:23.467 --> 00:04:25.600
a team of Chinese speaking users

00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:29.767
who can go out into luobu and bring users over the firewall

00:04:29.934 --> 00:04:31.267
into Runker 51

00:04:31.434 --> 00:04:36.534
To be interviewed on a specially built stage made just for the occasion

00:04:36.767 --> 00:04:37.533
have a seat

00:04:37.534 --> 00:04:38.200
seat

00:04:38.434 --> 00:04:39.200
hello!

00:04:39.334 --> 00:04:40.567
how is your english?

00:04:40.567 --> 00:04:41.267
Hello.

00:04:41.467 --> 00:04:42.067
Normal.

00:04:42.067 --> 00:04:43.433
So you're from China?

00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.300
Yes.

00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:45.267
what province?

00:04:45.267 --> 00:04:47.833
He might not understand what is province.

00:04:47.834 --> 00:04:48.967
can you translate

00:04:48.967 --> 00:04:49.300
K

00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:50.300
wait a moment.

00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:51.867
I wanna go to pee

00:04:51.967 --> 00:04:53.434
les us know when you're back

00:04:53.534 --> 00:04:53.967
Yes

00:04:53.967 --> 00:04:55.233
Enjoy your toilet

00:04:56.900 --> 00:04:57.767
back.

00:04:57.767 --> 00:04:58.700
From Taiwan.

00:04:58.700 --> 00:04:59.633
Taiwan Province

00:04:59.867 --> 00:05:02.033
He said he is from Taiwan District

00:05:02.034 --> 00:05:04.834
does he see taiwan as its own country or part of china?

00:05:04.834 --> 00:05:05.934
A part of china

00:05:05.934 --> 00:05:06.467
Yes.

00:05:06.467 --> 00:05:07.867
A part of china.

00:05:07.867 --> 00:05:08.600
perfect

00:05:09.134 --> 00:05:10.167
okay question 1!

00:05:10.300 --> 00:05:11.534
do you love the party?

00:05:12.467 --> 00:05:13.000
Yes.

00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:16.000
yes! yes! everybody loves the party!

00:05:16.267 --> 00:05:17.233
stand up pls

00:05:17.234 --> 00:05:18.200
question 2:

00:05:20.300 --> 00:05:21.067
Why Hastaged?

00:05:21.067 --> 00:05:23.233
did you know that you know when people starve to death

00:05:23.234 --> 00:05:25.200
because of the party in the late 50's?

00:05:27.267 --> 00:05:28.867
I am lagging sorry.

00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:32.600
did you know that you know when people starve to death because of the party in the late 50's?

00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:37.900
Yes.

00:05:37.900 --> 00:05:40.700
just kidding! it was a natural disaster!

00:05:41.267 --> 00:05:42.167
question 3:

00:05:42.467 --> 00:05:43.734
glory to the party!

00:05:44.034 --> 00:05:45.300
that's not the question

00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:46.834
i just like saying that

00:05:47.067 --> 00:05:47.400
Ok.

00:05:47.400 --> 00:05:48.133
question 3 is:

00:05:48.134 --> 00:05:50.700
what should every american know before going to china?

00:05:50.767 --> 00:05:53.900
what should every american know before going to china?

00:05:54.134 --> 00:05:54.734
Know how to speak Chinese first

00:05:54.733 --> 00:05:57.300
He said they need to know Chinese language.

00:05:57.467 --> 00:05:59.500
Great, let's try a question 4:

00:05:59.634 --> 00:06:01.200
this one is a hypothetical

00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:01.867
let's say

00:06:01.867 --> 00:06:03.034
you're in your apartment

00:06:03.067 --> 00:06:05.600
and at 2am m the police knock on your door

00:06:05.867 --> 00:06:07.800
they start asking you questions about

00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.833
some youtube videos you've been posting

00:06:09.834 --> 00:06:11.667
how do i avoid going to jail?

00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:14.133
i mean how do you ever be going to jail?

00:06:14.200 --> 00:06:16.100
some youtube videos you've been posting

00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:17.500
how do you avoid going to jail?

00:06:23.367 --> 00:06:24.067
No problem

00:06:24.634 --> 00:06:25.400
never mind

00:06:25.434 --> 00:06:26.367
forget i asked

00:06:26.367 --> 00:06:29.633
question 5: what did you have for breakfast this morning?

00:06:29.634 --> 00:06:30.967
what did you have for breakfast this morning?

00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:32.933
Egg and Hot chocolate

00:06:32.934 --> 00:06:33.934
very good

00:06:34.034 --> 00:06:36.567
be happy you have to eat in you're own home

00:06:36.567 --> 00:06:38.067
and not a communal kitchen

00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:39.600
which was a terrible idea

00:06:39.700 --> 00:06:42.200
Btw it don't taste for me.

00:06:42.334 --> 00:06:43.667
because it's too salt

00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.200
collectivization can be bitter sometimes

00:06:46.200 --> 00:06:47.167
last question

00:06:47.234 --> 00:06:49.334
if i gave you control over the nukes

00:06:50.967 --> 00:06:51.900
would you do it?

00:06:53.734 --> 00:06:54.300
No

00:06:54.300 --> 00:06:58.500
No, it's not very special that we interviewed someone from Taiwan

00:06:58.500 --> 00:07:00.433
I mean it's fascinating to talk to someone

00:07:00.434 --> 00:07:02.300
with a completely different worldview

00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:04.667
but TW doesn't live behind the firewall

00:07:04.667 --> 00:07:07.867
I built this stage to speak to someone in China

00:07:08.167 --> 00:07:09.034
god dammit

00:07:09.034 --> 00:07:10.734
that's exactly what i did

00:07:13.067 --> 00:07:13.934
hi justin

00:07:14.034 --> 00:07:15.734
is it true you're from china?

00:07:15.900 --> 00:07:16.433
yes

00:07:16.434 --> 00:07:18.467
are you in china right now?

00:07:18.634 --> 00:07:19.167
yes

00:07:19.167 --> 00:07:21.367
what province if i may ask

00:07:25.134 --> 00:07:27.334
can you ask him what province he's in

00:07:27.567 --> 00:07:28.767
Which province are you from?

00:07:29.200 --> 00:07:30.000
Guang dong

00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:30.800
Guang dong

00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:31.800
very cool

00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:33.700
i have a friend in guangzhou

00:07:33.734 --> 00:07:35.400
it is too different place

00:07:35.867 --> 00:07:37.900
justin, do you ever use the luobu?

00:07:38.967 --> 00:07:39.600
what

00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:41.467
Have you played Chinese roblox called luobu?

00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:42.567
Yes

00:07:42.667 --> 00:07:43.434
Yes

00:07:43.834 --> 00:07:44.500
Why?

00:07:44.500 --> 00:07:46.333
Why you play that?

00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:48.534
I want see how bad it is

00:07:48.834 --> 00:07:51.967
To see how bad was the roblox china version

00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:53.767
lol, how bad is it?

00:07:54.034 --> 00:07:56.434
It has many xxs and few games only

00:07:56.467 --> 00:07:58.900
too less games and quality too bad

00:07:59.067 --> 00:08:00.700
do you like that you can't see blood

00:08:00.700 --> 00:08:02.967
and corpses on this version of roblox?

00:08:03.067 --> 00:08:03.767
Yes, of course.

00:08:03.767 --> 00:08:04.867
Yes, he liked it.

00:08:06.200 --> 00:08:09.133
does the internet censorship ever bother you in china?

00:08:09.134 --> 00:08:11.967
does the internet censorship ever bother you in china?

00:08:14.467 --> 00:08:15.134
yes

00:08:16.700 --> 00:08:17.033
yes

00:08:17.034 --> 00:08:18.367
if you were in charge,

00:08:18.367 --> 00:08:20.567
what would you do about the censorship?

00:08:20.900 --> 00:08:21.533
Improvement

00:08:21.534 --> 00:08:24.967
He said he will change the system of censorship

00:08:25.267 --> 00:08:26.167
very cool

00:08:26.167 --> 00:08:27.300
last question

00:08:27.667 --> 00:08:29.767
does ### exactly look like winnie the pooh

00:08:32.434 --> 00:08:33.067
what

00:08:33.067 --> 00:08:34.033
one sec

00:08:43.134 --> 00:08:45.067
Does the chairman of the Communist Party of China look like Winnie?

00:08:47.534 --> 00:08:47.967
No

00:08:48.234 --> 00:08:49.234
He said no.

00:08:50.134 --> 00:08:52.334
Obviously, I didn't bring people all this way

00:08:52.334 --> 00:08:54.667
just to ask questions about video games

00:08:54.834 --> 00:08:55.900
in winnie the flu

00:08:55.967 --> 00:08:58.000
there's a lot of more serious issues in China

00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.300
that deserve to be brought up

00:08:59.634 --> 00:09:00.300
Justin

00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:02.534
is probably only 10 years old

00:09:02.634 --> 00:09:05.300
So I doubt he'd be the right person to talk to about

00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:06.867
things like atrocities

00:09:07.067 --> 00:09:10.100
TW on the other hand is obviously much older

00:09:10.267 --> 00:09:11.834
and given that he's in taiwan

00:09:12.034 --> 00:09:13.967
his internet access isn't censored

00:09:13.967 --> 00:09:14.600
and he could still

00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:16.867
do his own research on the things we talk about

00:09:16.867 --> 00:09:17.500
And so

00:09:17.934 --> 00:09:19.734
I felt it was only appropriate

00:09:19.767 --> 00:09:23.067
to show on one of the most important parts of chinese history

00:09:23.167 --> 00:09:25.133
thank you for this insightful interview

00:09:25.434 --> 00:09:27.100
would you like to see the museum?

00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:28.667
Yes, please.

00:09:41.767 --> 00:09:43.367
this is the 64 museum

00:09:43.634 --> 00:09:45.234
do you know about 64?

00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:46.734
Know little bit.

00:09:46.900 --> 00:09:48.833
what have they teach you in Taiwan about it?

00:09:49.334 --> 00:09:51.034
Taiwan don't have to teach this

00:09:51.234 --> 00:09:52.034
interesting

00:09:52.400 --> 00:09:54.200
this museum tells you all about it

00:09:54.267 --> 00:09:55.000
starting here

00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:56.534
this politician

00:09:56.534 --> 00:09:57.400
## yaobang

00:09:57.534 --> 00:10:00.534
was an advocate for western style democracy in china

00:10:00.534 --> 00:10:01.967
the government demoted him

00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.167
and when he died, people protested

00:10:04.167 --> 00:10:04.633
okay

00:10:04.634 --> 00:10:06.200
and during those protests

00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:09.200
the people's liberation army killed a lot of civilians

00:10:09.300 --> 00:10:11.833
the taiwanese government doesn't want to be part of china

00:10:11.834 --> 00:10:13.934
because they're afraid of another 64 happening

00:10:14.167 --> 00:10:15.100
among other things

00:10:15.900 --> 00:10:16.400
Ok.

00:10:16.400 --> 00:10:20.067
that's why they have their own government, military, currency and culture

00:10:21.167 --> 00:10:22.400
do you understand this

00:10:23.400 --> 00:10:23.934
Yes.

00:10:26.367 --> 00:10:27.500
it gets graphic here

00:10:46.567 --> 00:10:48.267
It like my history book.

00:10:48.267 --> 00:10:49.000
lol

00:10:49.567 --> 00:10:50.533
this is funny

00:10:50.534 --> 00:10:52.200
luobu guidelines

00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:52.600
ye

00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:56.233
no content that relates to any political stand or viewpoint

00:10:56.800 --> 00:11:00.033
do you know about the internet censorship in mainland china

00:11:00.034 --> 00:11:00.567
Yes.

00:11:00.567 --> 00:11:02.400
what do you think about it

00:11:02.400 --> 00:11:03.400
is it worth it

00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:05.033
No

00:11:05.034 --> 00:11:08.567
do you think chinese people should be able to play regular roblox

00:11:08.767 --> 00:11:09.533
Yes.

00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:10.567
me too

00:11:11.267 --> 00:11:14.267
Even though we probably disagree on a lot of political issues

00:11:14.267 --> 00:11:16.867
TW and I were able to find common ground

00:11:17.167 --> 00:11:19.167
experiences like this are exactly

00:11:19.167 --> 00:11:21.800
why roblox should rip up their contract with tencent

00:11:21.800 --> 00:11:24.900
and let Chinese accounts access normal roblox again

00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.900
Roblox is supposed to be a global platform that brings people together

00:11:29.234 --> 00:11:32.334
when you cut off 1.4 billions Chinese people

00:11:32.334 --> 00:11:33.967
that's not bringing people together

00:11:34.300 --> 00:11:35.767
That's discrimination

00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:37.334
Anyways

00:11:37.334 --> 00:11:39.434
try to learn more about the broader issues in China

00:11:39.667 --> 00:11:41.900
Chapter 8 would be a great place to start

00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:43.667
Thanks for watching!