China updates its online censorship rules to combat fake news

The newly approved censorship measures launched by China’s cybersecurity administration aims to combat a rise in fake news following the recent virus outbreak

In a bid to counter the growing volume of fake news and online fraud, China’s cybersecurity administration stepped up the control of online content on March 1^st.

A new set of regulations took effect warning content creators and their platforms that content that seeks to “hype” news stories including scandals and official wrongdoing or “improperly comments” on major news events will result in the deletion of user accounts.

To counter fake news and online fraud, on March 1^st China’s censors stepped up their war on online content

The new rules fall into three categories:

• Encouraged: Spreading and explaining Party doctrine, with “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” listed as priority number one; spreading the core Socialist values, and increasing China’s international influence.
• Negative: Sensationalising headlines; sexual innuendo, suggestion, or enticement; gore and horror; and incitement of discrimination. This is harder to define, as increasingly more internet users are creating their own content.
• Illegal: Content endangering national security, divulging state secrets, subverting the national regime, and destroying national unity; content demeaning or denying the deeds and spirit of heroes and martyrs; content promoting terrorism or extremism, and content inciting ethnic hatred or ethnic discrimination.

This newest document on the online ecosystem integrates pre-existing regulations.

For more information on the internet in China contact Mark Hedley