An independent documentary on China's extreme pollution problem that had gone viral in the country was blocked by Beijing authorities on Saturday.
Under the Dome, a 103-minute film by independent reporter Chai Jing, had garnered more than 100 million views since being released online a few days ago, according to the BBC.
The film explored the reasons for China's notorious air pollution, blaming lax regulation for the thick smog which often blankets Chinese cities and causes health problems.
Chai's own daughter was born with a benign tumor, and she described the film as her "personal battle" against air pollution, Agence France-Presse reported.
But by Saturday users trying to access the film on major video websites within China were receiving error messages.
Neither the country's internet regulator nor its communications publicly admitted to censoring the film according to Reuters, but Chinese Communist Party officials routinely remove web content that is deemed to run against state interests.
The censoring of the film came just days after Premier Li Keqiang told the annual full session of the National's People Congress that China would fight pollution with all its might, calling it a blight on people's lives.
Environmental protection minister Chen Jining had previously praised the film, saying it should "encourage efforts ... to improve air quality," according to the BBC.
On Saturday, Chen told reporters China cannot relent on its efforts to bring pollution under control, but warned that it is unreasonable to expect a rapid turnaround.
The minister said China's environmental laws need to reach the strength of the country's economic laws.
These photos of the Beijing skyline, taken one month apart, capture the difference that air pollution can make in the city.
Here Tiananmen Gate can be seen on a clear and polluted day.
The film is still available on YouTube with English subtitles.
