China’s internet watchdog has launched a two-month nationwide campaign to suppress online content deemed to promote violent or hostile sentiment, with even pessimistic commentary on the slowing economy falling under its purview.
The initiative follows recent disciplinary actions against major platforms, including the short-video app Kuaishou, microblogging site Weibo, and Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, over various content violations.
Concerns regarding negative public sentiment have intensified this year amid China’s economic struggles and persistent youth joblessness.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced it would conduct extensive inspections of trending topics, content recommendations, and comment sections across social media.
Problematic content specifically targeted includes posts inciting fan group clashes, those teaching or selling doxxing techniques, fabricated information, economic rumours, distorted incident narratives, and “sensational conspiracy theories.”
Posts that hype up pessimism and negativity with claims like “hard work is useless” or “studying is useless”, and those that “exaggerate isolated negative cases and push negative outlooks on life” will also come under scrutiny, the regulator said.
China enforces strict rules on online content. While Western platforms also regulate user behaviour, China’s control is far more extensive, motivated by concerns that strong sentiment fanned by heated online discussions could unsettle society in the real world.
The announcement came a day after police in Beijing said they had taken “compulsory measures” against three individuals accused of spreading rumours about the death of well-known actor Yu Menglong, 37, who had starred in popular Chinese TV dramas.
The police said Yu “fell to his death after drinking”, but the individuals fabricated information and spliced together fake videos to attract attention, “seriously disrupting public order.”