China Launches Two-Month Social Media Crackdown to Curb “Negative Content”

TDT | Beijing

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China’s top internet regulator announced on Monday a two-month campaign targeting social media content deemed harmful, including posts that promote “malicious incitement of conflict” or foster “negative outlooks on life such as world-weariness.”

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said social media companies must strictly moderate content on their platforms to prevent the spread of material considered subversive, vulgar, pornographic, or otherwise harmful.

The announcement comes after the CAC recently penalized three major digital platforms for failing to manage content responsibly. On Saturday, the regulator said it would impose “disciplinary and punitive measures” on micro-blogging platform Weibo and short-video platform Kuaishou, accusing them of promoting celebrity news and other “undesirable” content. Similar action was taken on September 11 against the Instagram-like platform Xiaohongshu, known in English as Rednote. Authorities have not yet specified the exact penalties for the three companies.

The campaign, which has no publicly confirmed start date, aims to regulate “the malicious incitement of conflict and the promotion of violence and vicious currents,” the CAC said.

Among the specific issues the crackdown seeks to address are posts that exploit social trends to unfairly associate identity, region, or gender with negative information—effectively targeting discriminatory or stigmatizing content. Local officials in Zhejiang province, for instance, previously warned comedians against making jokes that could exacerbate gender tensions.

The campaign will also focus on suppressing the spread of “rumours” related to the economy, finance, social welfare, and public policy. Weibo users previously reported that the platform warned against sharing “pessimistic” economic views in late 2023.

The CAC’s latest move underscores Beijing’s continued efforts to control online discourse and ensure that digital platforms align with state guidelines on acceptable content.