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By: Rob Otto
In a New York Post exclusive, a group of state senators is pressuring the State University of New York (SUNY) to scrutinize its $2.7 million contract with Springer Nature, a prominent academic publisher accused of censorship practices favoring the Chinese government.
According to the NY Post, state Senators John Liu, Toby Stavisky, and Iwen Chu are raising concerns over allegations that Springer Nature, which oversees an expansive collection of scholarly journals, has been censoring material critical of China’s policies on sensitive issues like Taiwan, Tibet, and human rights.
Scientific “American” is owned and operated by German corporation Springer Nature, and it works closely with Communist China in its publications. They would endorse any leftist candidate. https://t.co/AnyQRdM6p7
— Piper Bayard (@PiperBayard) September 17, 2024
In an October 23 letter to SUNY Chancellor John King obtained exclusively by the New York Post, the lawmakers highlighted claims that in 2017, Springer Nature restricted access to thousands of articles in China that discussed politically sensitive topics.
Reports from 2020 further accused the publisher of pressuring Taiwanese authors to list “China” alongside “Taiwan” in their publications, with some articles even being rejected if authors refused to comply.
The New York Post reported that Senators Liu, Stavisky, and Chu described these actions as compromising academic integrity, arguing that SUNY’s contract with Springer Nature jeopardizes its commitment to free scholarly exchange.
In 2017, Springer Nature blocked access to journal articles in China which mentioned Tibet, Taiwan, and members of the ruling class. As a scientific publisher, one would think this would violate their telos. I mention this because Scientific American is a subsidiary of SN. https://t.co/2pV0PyeJeV
— exizstad (@exizstad) September 16, 2024
“These actions reflect a troubling willingness to prioritize business interests over academic integrity, which conflicts with SUNY’s commitment to global scholarly collaboration and the free exchange of ideas,” the lawmakers stated in their letter, as quoted by the NY Post.
SUNY, however, has defended the deal. According to the New York Post, SUNY’s Vice Chancellor for Government Relations, Will Schwartz, argued that the contract was structured to save money and streamline access to academic resources across its 64 campuses. Schwartz explained that this systemwide arrangement with Springer Nature, which oversees 2,700 journals and reports $2 billion in annual revenue, allows SUNY to avoid individual negotiations for each college within the system. He assured that the contract is not exclusive, meaning SUNY institutions are not bound to work solely with Springer Nature.
The deal, which received a green light from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, was approved as a no-bid contract in 2022, with the option for annual review. Despite this defense, the New York Post reports that Senator Liu criticized Schwartz’s response as “embarrassing,” adding, “SUNY is supposed to be a bastion of academic freedom… SUNY must do better.”
In yet another New York Post exclusive, it was revealed that Springer Nature is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit, which claims the publisher has monopolized access to academic research and exploited unpaid academic labor through the peer review process. The lawsuit alleges that Springer Nature and other major publishers have colluded to limit competition, raising costs and restricting access for institutions like SUNY, the NY Post noted.
According to the lawmakers, the consolidation of academic content under Springer Nature’s control, combined with the publisher’s alleged history of censorship and anti-competitive practices, poses significant risks to SUNY’s reputation. As reported by the New York Post, the senators have urged SUNY to reconsider its contract with Springer Nature, noting that such associations could potentially damage the university system’s commitment to academic freedom.
This New York Post exclusive underscores the growing tension between academic institutions and large publishers, particularly as allegations of censorship and monopolistic practices come to light. The New York Post has further highlighted the senators’ concern that SUNY’s mission and integrity may be at stake.
