"Why No Control Over Pornography and False Information?"... Punishment for China's Baidu and Weibo

Published 02 May.2023 09:46(KST)

Chinese authorities have held major local internet media platforms, including Baidu, accountable and have taken punitive actions.

According to local media such as the state-run Global Times on the 1st, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently investigated major internet media platforms including Baidu, Sina Weibo, Douyin, and Douban, and announced that during the first quarter they failed to properly manage the online spread of harmful information such as pornography, false information (superstition), prostitution, and gambling.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

As a result of this crackdown, the authorities plan to impose administrative penalties such as account closures and fines on responsible parties. However, the specific penalties imposed on each platform have not been disclosed. Each platform’s representatives must report this situation to the local CAC and rectify the issues within the prescribed deadline.

In the first quarter of this year, the authorities held review sessions for a total of 2,203 internet media platforms and regulatory measures. Consequently, 48 platforms were either shut down or improved, and 55 applications were removed. Additionally, together with telecommunications authorities, licenses of illegal sites were revoked and a total of 4,208 illegal sites were closed.

The CAC has been strengthening censorship not only on false and harmful information but also on posts that could incite the overthrow of state power or the socialist system, or national division. Recently, it also announced management measures for content provided by AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, which has become a global sensation, emphasizing the need to implement socialist values.