BEIJING – China’s internet watchdog is taking aggressive action against major platforms, targeting ByteDance’s Jinri Toutiao and Alibaba’s UCWeb for allegedly spreading harmful content that “damages the online ecosystem.”
The crackdown comes just a day after authorities launched a sweeping two-month campaign to police social media.
Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it is cracking down on posts that stir conflict, incite violence, or promote pessimistic views of life. Chinese platforms face strict rules to control content deemed subversive, vulgar, or otherwise dangerous to society.
Chinese authorities already penalized several platforms including Weibo, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu over online content. Now, Toutiao has been summoned for a high-level meeting, warned to make urgent corrections, and threatened with severe consequences for staff responsible.
Furthermore, UCWeb is under similar scrutiny for hosting material on sensitive issues, including online violence and the privacy of minors.
The crackdown aims to stop platforms from exploiting trending topics to unfairly stigmatize users based on identity, region, or gender, while aggressively clamping down on any content authorities consider toxic.
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