In just 3 months, China’s internet censor has closed over 4,000 websites and removed 55 apps

Cyberspace Administration of China bans a dozen personal media platforms using names similar to state media or major news portals
In the second quarter it will mobilise provincial and prefecture-level cyberspace enforcement teams to supervise and inspect

China’s internet censorship

William Zheng

Published: 3:39pm, 2 May 2023

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China’s internet watchdog shut down more than 4,200 sites and removed 55 apps from app stores for various breaches, including providing unauthorised news services, in the first quarter of the year alone.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on Sunday it had also summoned people in charge of more than 2,200 websites and told them to rectify their content.

The announcement of its first-quarter crackdown came two weeks after Zhuang Rongwen, the director of the top internet regulator, pledged to clean up politically related content and “safeguard” the security of online opinion.

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Beijing has tightened its control of the internet in the past few years because it wants to limit the influence of Western ideologies as it faces heightened tension with the United States and its allies.

Among the major internet platforms that have been fined or had management summoned by the cyberspace authority are Microsoft’s search engine Bing.com, China’s top search engine Baidu, the Chinese Twitter-like microblogging platform Sina Weibo, live-streaming platform Douyu, and Douban, which is known as a haven for relatively liberal online discussions.

The cyberspace administration said these service providers failed to supervise information posted by their users, resulting in the online spread of “harmful information”, such as pornography, superstitions, prostitution, gambling and illegal lending.

It said some functions on these platforms had been restricted because local cyberspace regulators had asked them to immediately rectify their actions.

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In the latest round of “Operation Qinglang”, an annual campaign running since 2016 to “clean up” the country’s internet, the administration banned a dozen personal media platforms that had used names similar to state media platforms or major news portals to draw users.

It said in the second quarter of this year, it would mobilise provincial and prefecture-level cyberspace administration enforcement teams to carry out on-site supervision and inspections.

Other priorities for this year’s campaign include targeting misinformation from social media accounts managed by independent content creators. Those producing information in professional fields such as public health, law and justice and education will be labelled and subjected to strict review.

It also launched a new campaign at the end of March to crack down on online rumours and information breaches that violate the rights of private companies as Beijing signals better protection for the private sector while striving to revive the economy.

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In addition, the administration kicked off a two-month campaign on March 12 targeting social media accounts, including a crackdown on information that “damages the image of the Communist Party and the government”.

The internet regulator also said it would tackle cyberbullying, with strict controls on information posted on websites or in platforms’ comment sections.

Last year, the administration removed more than 54.3 million items of what it deemed illegal or harmful online information, more than 2,890 apps and mini-programs and shut down more than 7,300 websites.