China Announces Strengthened Crackdown and Penalties on Fake News Targeting Media Outlets and SNS

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] China has announced a strong crackdown on 'fake news.'

On the 5th, according to major Chinese media, the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party has recently been discussing measures to crack down on fake news together with key regulatory agencies such as the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Taxation Administration, and the State Administration for Market Regulation. Each department agreed that cracking down on fake news is an important measure to strengthen media supervision, create a good news environment, and protect the interests of the people.

They also emphasized the need to strictly crack down on illegal and regulatory-violating activities in internet news and to severely punish illegal acts. The main targets of the crackdown include not only news organizations but also various internet platforms, public accounts, and unauthorized social organizations and individuals engaged in illegal news activities.

Although Chinese authorities have not detailed the direction of the crackdown, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) predicted that considering the strict licensing requirements for newspapers and broadcasting in China, the core of this crackdown discussion will likely be social media (SNS). Citizen journalists active on SNS are becoming increasingly popular. The newspaper explained that although these individuals are not authorized by the Chinese government, they are subject to punishment for illegal activities.

Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who reported on the situation in the Wuhan area during the early spread of COVID-19, was sentenced to four years in prison.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.