China‘s cyberspace regulator announced on Thursday that its “clean cyberspace” campaign would have 10 main tasks in 2022, including “rectifying” companies that manage social media influencers.
The focus of the campaign will include “rectifying” multi-channel network firms, short video and livestreaming, as well as cracking down on internet rumours, according to Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
Sheng said the campaign, going into 2022, should be “specialised, strict and practical”, focusing on prominent online problems with a view to taking pragmatic measures.
The campaign outline follows Monday’s announcement by CAC that companies engaged in online gaming, livestreaming, audio and video in China should set up a “youth mode” to protect minors.
The major platforms should regularly conduct assessments on cyber protection for minors in order to provide a “clean” online environment for them, CAC said, adding that the platforms should also cap daily spending amount for minor users.
China’s major video streaming platforms Tencent Video and iQIYI, as well as ByteDance-owned short video platform Douyin have already launched a “youth mode” for minors.
Authorities in China have long worried about addiction to gaming and the internet among its young people.
- Reuters, with additional editing by George Russell
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