China is launching a two-month campaign to curb online negativity. The initiative targets discussion topics, search rankings, recommendations, and comments on social media platforms. This crackdown was triggered by a surge of hateful remarks following the tragic death of a well-known actor.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has officially announced a special two-month campaign aimed at combating negative content across the internet. This comprehensive effort will meticulously scrutinize online discussion topics, search engine rankings, content recommendation algorithms, and user comments found on various social media platforms.
Authorities have declared their intention to actively remove messages that insult individuals, specific regions, or demographic groups. Furthermore, they aim to significantly restrict the dissemination of panic-inducing material, rumors, and any content explicitly designed to provoke negative emotions. The directive strictly prohibits the spread of false information about natural disasters, counterfeit government statements, and unsubstantiated rumors concerning political, economic, and social affairs.
The Catalyst for the Campaign
Konstantin Shchepin, a Russian journalist based in China, shed light on the immediate catalyst for this campaign in an interview with Business FM:
Russian journalist in China
«I wouldn`t go as far as to say that the internet in China is excessively regulated. I would argue that the level of internet regulation in China is comparable to what exists in Russia, perhaps even a bit softer. It`s crucial to understand that internet `cleanup` campaigns are a regular occurrence here. I`ve been working in China for over 20 years, and throughout my time, such campaigns are conducted roughly once a year or once every two years, on an ongoing basis. If I`m not mistaken, during last year`s campaign, around a thousand — not just social media accounts, but actual websites — that were found to be distributing pornography, counter-propaganda, and similar content, were shut down.»
«As for the current wave, it was triggered by a less serious incident that happened about a week ago. It was a very unfortunate situation: a rather well-known artist, while intoxicated, fell from a window and died. It was a great tragedy for his family, of course, but then very malicious comments began to spread online about it. It escalated to the point where three bloggers, described as `haters,` who wrote an incredible amount of vile things about the deceased actor, were detained. This campaign is not about state security; this time, it`s specifically about ethics.»
Enforcement and Consequences
The Cyberspace Administration of China has urged users to proactively report any content that violates the established rules. Moreover, online platforms and agencies representing bloggers will be held accountable for identifying and rectifying such infractions. Consequences for offending bloggers could be severe, including the disabling of monetization features, the permanent deletion of their publications, or even account suspension without any possibility of restoration.
