South Park, games company swept up in China censorship fury

(AP) — TV show South Park and a major video game studio are the latest businesses to get swept into a controversy over how to handle China’s censorship efforts.

Video games maker Activision Blizzard said Tuesday it kicked a Hong Kong esports pro out of a tournament and seized his prize money after he voiced support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest movement.

Chinese video streaming sites apparently scrubbed all episodes of South Park after an episode about U.S. businesses kowtowing to Beijing.

Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone issued a faux apology, saying, “Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts.”

They were referring to a rapidly deleted tweet by the Houston Rockets general manager supporting the Hong Kong protests that sparked a Chinese backlash.