China’s top internet regulator has initiated a far-reaching two-month campaign to cleanse social media platforms of content labeled as ‘malicious incitement of conflict’ and ‘negative outlooks on life, such as world-weariness.’
In Beijing, social media companies are mandated to strictly moderate all content, preventing anything considered subversive, vulgar, pornographic, or generally harmful from appearing on their platforms.
This latest directive from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) comes on the heels of recent punitive actions against three prominent digital platforms accused of neglecting their content management responsibilities.
Just days prior, the CAC announced it would implement ‘disciplinary and punitive measures’ against micro-blogging giant Weibo and short video platform Kuaishou. These platforms were specifically criticized for emphasizing celebrity news and ‘undesirable’ content.
This followed similar enforcement taken against the Instagram-like app Xiaohongshu, known as Rednote in English. While authorities have not detailed the specific penalties, the message for platform accountability is clear.
The two-month campaign, which began recently, is designed ‘to regulate the malicious incitement of conflict and the promotion of violence and vicious currents,’ according to the CAC. The regulator outlined several key online issues it aims to address.
Among these are ‘exploiting social hot spots to forcibly associate identity, region or gender with other information, stigmatizing and hyping them.’ This could translate into a stricter approach towards discussions on discrimination. For example, local officials in eastern Zhejiang province previously cautioned comedians against routines perceived to fuel gender discord.
The crackdown also targets the dissemination of ‘rumors’ related to the economy, finance, social welfare, and public policy. Weibo, in particular, has a history of warning users against sharing ‘pessimistic’ economic views, as reported by social media users.
Furthermore, the notice explicitly mentioned ‘maliciously interpreting social phenomena, unilaterally exaggerating negative individual cases and exploiting them to promote negative outlooks on life such as world-weariness.’ This appears to be a direct reference to modern cultural phenomena like ‘lying flat’ or ‘letting it rot’ – phrases popular among young Chinese to describe a rejection of demanding work culture in favor of a more relaxed approach to life.
The overall objective of this intense two-month sweep, the statement concluded, is to ‘foster a more civilized and rational online environment.’