CAC Issues 13 Rules for Self-Media Management to Foster a Healthy Online Media Ecosystem

The rapid growth of “self-media” has greatly improved the efficiency of information dissemination, but it has also brought some negative effects and disorder. Strengthening the management of self-media is essential to fostering a healthy online ecosystem and a clean, wholesome social media environment.

On July 5, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued the Notice on Strengthening the Management of “Self-Media”, which contains 13 provisions. These provisions set out specific requirements in the following areas: strictly preventing impersonation and counterfeiting conduct; strengthening the display of qualification certifications; standardising the annotation of information sources; enhancing the management of information authenticity; adding labels for fictional content or disputed information; improving the rumour-labelling function; regulating account operation conduct; clarifying the conditions for enabling monetisation privileges; restricting profits derived from violations; improving follower count management measures; intensifying the management of MCN agencies affiliated with self-media; strictly handling violations; and strengthening the handling and public exposure of typical cases. They target the current disorder in self-media closely, and they are detailed, specific, and highly operable. Their implementation will have a significant impact on the current state of self-media.

I. The Necessity of Strengthening Self-Media Management

The development of the self-media industry has greatly lowered the entry barriers for information dissemination, enabling virtually anyone to become a publisher of information. As a result, information sources have become extremely complex. Some publishers, driven by the pursuit of profit, traffic, and attention, distort and exaggerate facts, and even fabricate and spread rumours. Erroneous or malicious information can mislead the public. In some cases, self-media channels may be exploited by malicious actors to spread false information or inflammatory remarks that deliberately incite social conflict, create panic, provoke confrontation, undermine social stability, and even endanger national security.

At the same time, in order to keep users engaged for longer periods, self-media platforms use algorithmic recommendation mechanisms that push information based solely on user preferences, causing users to see information they like or agree with rather than information that is necessarily true. To a certain extent, this has aggravated the uncontrolled spread of false information.

Self-media channels account for an ever larger share of the information the public receives each day. Rampant false information and the rapid spread of rumours are increasingly affecting public order, social stability, and even national security. As these problems intensify, their negative impact on the country and society has become more and more pronounced. The public has also called on the state to strengthen the regulation of information dissemination by self-media and to foster a healthy online information environment.

II. The Ongoing Rectification of Self-Media Disorder

The disorder that has accompanied the growth of self-media, and its negative impact on the country and society, have gradually drawn the attention of the relevant national authorities, which have already begun to take governance action and have achieved certain results.

In March of this year, the CAC organised and convened a national video conference of the cyberspace administration system to deploy the “Qinglang: Strictly Rectifying Self-Media Disorder” special campaign, and set the following working objectives for the campaign: to rectify self-media disorder, to address deep-seated problems such as the distortion of self-media content and excessive operating practices, and to maintain a sound order for the dissemination of online information. The campaign aims to hold website platforms to their primary responsibilities, urging them to improve a full-process, full-chain management system covering account registration, operation, and closure, and to strengthen routine management of account-name review, professional qualification certification, and content review. It also seeks to explore the use of economic means to strengthen self-media regulation, curb profit-seeking violations by self-media, align social and economic benefits, and create a clean and wholesome online environment.

Through the implementation of the “Qinglang: Strictly Rectifying Self-Media Disorder” special campaign, cyberspace administration departments at all levels have actively discharged their responsibilities. Major platforms such as Weibo, Tencent, Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), and Kuaishou have actively fulfilled their primary responsibility for content management, and certain interim results have been achieved. These include: severely cracking down on violations by self-media accounts that took advantage of hot-button events such as the “Hu Mouyu incident” to fabricate and spread rumours and engage in malicious hype; dealing en masse with accounts that impersonated Party and government organs; and dealing en masse with accounts that deliberately exploited hot topics in the economic, social, and livelihood domains to gain followers and traffic illegally. According to information released by “Cyberspace Administration of China” (Wangxin Zhongguo), as of May 22, major platforms had cumulatively removed over 1.4109 million pieces of violating information and handled over 927,600 violating accounts, of which more than 66,600 were permanently closed. Over 110 public announcements were issued. These actions have effectively deterred self-media violations.

III. Interpretation of the CAC’s 13 New Rules on Self-Media Management

The 13 provisions issued by the CAC target the various forms of self-media disorder that currently exist, and offer practical, operable management solutions. The following is an article-by-article interpretation of the provisions.

01

Strictly preventing impersonation and counterfeiting conduct. Website platforms shall strengthen the review of account information during registration, proposed changes to account information, and dynamic verification, to effectively prevent self-media impersonation and counterfeiting conduct. For account information that contains the names or logos of Party and government organs, news media, or administrative divisions, manual review must be conducted. If impersonation or counterfeiting is discovered, the relevant services shall not be provided.

Interpretation:

Some self-media accounts impersonate authoritative entities to attract traffic, leading the public to believe that the information they publish comes from authoritative channels. This makes false information more likely to be believed, which not only misleads the public but also damages the credibility of the genuine entities being impersonated. If Party and government organs or the military are impersonated, the adverse impact is even more severe.

Strengthening the review of account registration information is a key measure against impersonation. The provision requires that account information containing the names or logos of Party and government organs, news media, or administrative divisions undergo manual review, and that services be withheld where impersonation is found. It places account-management requirements on website platforms, and its strict implementation will help clean up the online environment.

02

Strengthening the display of qualification certifications. For self-media accounts engaged in the production of information content in fields such as finance, education, healthcare, and justice, website platforms shall conduct strict verification and display on the account homepage the names of certification materials such as service qualifications, professional qualifications, and professional backgrounds, and add labels indicating the relevant field. For self-media accounts that have not obtained qualification certification or whose certification has expired, website platforms shall suspend the provision of information publishing services in the corresponding fields.

Interpretation:

Fields such as finance, education, healthcare, and justice are highly specialised and typically require practitioners to hold the relevant professional qualifications. For self-media accounts producing content in these fields, strict qualification review is necessary to ensure that what they publish is professional and authoritative. This protects the public from being misled and prevents harm from inaccurate or unprofessional information. The provision also emphasises platforms’ responsibility for account management, requiring them to display on the account homepage the names of certification materials such as service qualifications, professional qualifications, and professional backgrounds, so that the public can see them. For self-media accounts that have not obtained qualification certification or whose certification has expired, platforms are required to suspend the provision of information publishing services in the relevant fields, thereby preventing unreliable information from misleading the public.

03

Standardising the annotation of information sources. When self-media accounts publish information related to domestic and international current affairs, public policies, social events, and the like, website platforms shall require them to accurately annotate the information source and display it prominently at the time of publication. For self-shot images and videos, the shooting time, location, and other relevant information must be annotated one by one. For images and videos generated by technology, it must be clearly annotated that they are technology-generated. When citing old news or past events, the time and place of the original event must be clearly stated.

Interpretation:

The rise of self-media is one of the main reasons for the current proliferation of fake news, and the source of information is an important cue the public uses to judge whether news is authentic. This provision aims to curb the spread of fake news. For published information related to domestic and international current affairs, public policies, social events, and the like, self-media accounts should accurately annotate the information source. For self-shot images and videos, the shooting time, location, and other relevant information must also be annotated one by one. For images and videos generated by technology, it must be clearly annotated that they are technology-generated. When citing old news or past events, the time and place of the original event must be clearly stated. Annotating information sources helps the public understand where information comes from and judge its reliability. It also helps respect and protect the rights and interests of original content creators and prevents piracy and plagiarism.

04

Enhancing the management of information authenticity. Website platforms shall require self-media accounts to be responsible for the authenticity of the information they publish and repost. When self-media accounts publish information, website platforms shall display the self-media account name on the information publishing page, and shall not substitute it with anonymous users or the like. Self-media accounts shall not fabricate information out of nothing, shall not take information out of context or distort facts, and shall not impair the authenticity of information through means such as splicing clips, compositing, or forgery.

Interpretation:

This provision emphasises the primary responsibility of self-media publishers. It requires self-media accounts to publish under their real identities and not to conceal them through anonymity or other means. It also emphasises that what self-media publish must conform to the facts: it must not be fabricated from nothing, taken out of context, or distorted, nor forged by means such as splicing, clipping, or compositing. By requiring publication under a real identity and holding publishers accountable for the authenticity of what they publish, the provision aims to make publishers weigh the consequences of publishing false information.

05

Adding labels for fictional content or disputed information. When self-media accounts publish content containing fictional plots or dramatised performances, website platforms shall require them to prominently mark the content with a “fictional” or “dramatised” label. Website platforms are encouraged to mark disputed information with a “disputed” label and to restrict the traffic of such information.

Interpretation:

This provision requires that when self-media accounts publish content containing fictional plots or dramatised performances, platforms shall require them to prominently mark the content with a “fictional” or “dramatised” label. For disputed information, platforms are also encouraged to mark it with a “disputed” label and restrict its traffic. The implementation of this provision will enable the public to directly identify information containing fictional plots or dramatised performances through labels, thereby avoiding being misled.

However, this provision is addressed to the website platform, whereas whether a piece of content contains fictional plots or dramatised performances is often known only to its publisher, and it is difficult for the platform to ascertain accurately. Even if the platform imposes the requirement on publishers as this provision directs, if a publisher fails to apply the labels, how the platform should identify such content and what responsibility the publisher should bear remain to be clarified.

06

Improving the rumour-labelling function. For rumours involving public policies, social livelihood, major emergencies, and other fields, website platforms shall promptly mark them with a “rumour” label, pin debunking information at the top of the search results page for the specific rumour, use algorithmic recommendation to increase the reach of debunking information, and enhance the effectiveness of rumour debunking.

Interpretation:

This provision requires website platforms to detect, label, and debunk rumours promptly, and to do so by technological means, which sets a fairly high bar for platforms’ rumour-governance capabilities. China’s internet technology is already highly developed, and although the provision demands a lot of platforms technically, the demands are within the capabilities of internet platform companies. Making platforms responsible for debunking rumours is a sound way to deal with the uncontrolled spread of rumours through self-media.

07

Regulating account operation conduct. Website platforms shall strictly enforce the account registration quantity rules of “one person, one account; one enterprise, two accounts,” and strictly prohibit individuals or enterprises from manipulating self-media account matrices to publish and disseminate illegal and harmful information. Self-media accounts shall be required to conduct account operations in accordance with laws and regulations, and shall not aggregate negative information, rehash old news, exploit social hot events, or capitalise on disasters and accidents. They shall not induce users to follow other accounts by means such as preventing loss of contact, prompting early follows, or deliberately leaving suspense. Website platforms are encouraged to guide self-media accounts to produce high-quality information content. Website platforms shall strengthen the verification of self-media account information and prevent accounts that have been closed in accordance with laws and agreements from re-registering.

Interpretation:

The internet era has produced some distinctive phenomena, including “internet water armies” (paid online commentators), “50-cent party” members, “popularity boosting,” and “traffic inflation,” which allow public opinion to be deliberately hyped, steered, and controlled. This provision aims to crack down on these phenomena by requiring online platforms to verify account information strictly, enforce the “one person, one account; one enterprise, two accounts” rule, and curb the deliberate hyping and manipulation of public opinion.

08

Clarifying the conditions for enabling monetisation privileges. Self-media accounts applying to enable monetisation privileges must have no violation records within the past three months. If the account entity changes, the website platform shall suspend or shall not grant monetisation privileges for three months from the date of the change. Monetisation methods include but are not limited to advertising revenue sharing, content revenue sharing, e-commerce live-streaming sales, live-streaming tips, article or short-video appreciation, paid knowledge, and brand partnerships.

Interpretation:

This provision sets clear conditions for self-media accounts to enable monetisation privileges. The main requirement is that self-media accounts must have no violation records in the past three months to apply for monetisation privileges. At the same time, if the entity of a self-media account changes, the platform shall suspend or shall not grant monetisation privileges for three months from the date of the change. The aim is to ensure that only lawful and compliant self-media accounts can profit from their content, and to crack down on illegal monetisation.

09

Restricting profits derived from violations. When website platforms impose speech restrictions on violating self-media accounts, they shall simultaneously suspend their monetisation privileges for a duration of two to three times the speech restriction period. For self-media accounts that create vulgar personas, build influencer images that violate public order and good morals, or use multiple accounts in coordination to exploit social hot events for malicious marketing, website platforms shall revoke or shall not grant monetisation privileges. Website platforms shall regularly report to the cyberspace administration departments the relevant circumstances of restricting the monetisation privileges of violating self-media accounts.

Interpretation:

This provision raises the economic cost of violations in order to deter them. Where a platform imposes speech restrictions on a violating self-media account, it must at the same time suspend the account’s monetisation privileges for two to three times as long, which helps deter violations. Accounts that build vulgar personas or influencer images that offend public order and good morals, or that use multiple accounts in concert to exploit social hot events for malicious marketing, are likewise prevented from profiting from such conduct. Platforms are also required to report regularly to the cyberspace administration departments on how they have restricted the monetisation privileges of violating accounts, which ensures implementation and traceability.

10

Improving follower count management measures. For follower counts gained by self-media accounts through violations, website platforms shall promptly verify and remove them. During the speech restriction period, self-media accounts shall not gain new followers, and their historical posts shall not be displayed in key sections such as platform recommendations and rankings. For self-media accounts that frequently exploit social hot events to attract attention, the permanent prohibition of gaining new followers shall be imposed; in severe cases, all followers shall be removed. Website platforms shall not provide follower count transfer services.

Interpretation:

This provision restricts the influence of violating self-media accounts by limiting their follower growth, removing followers, and similar measures, so that they cannot profit from violations.

11

Intensifying the management of MCN agencies affiliated with self-media. Website platforms shall improve the management system for MCN agencies and implement centralised and unified management of MCN agencies and their contracted accounts. On the homepage of self-media accounts, the name of the MCN agency to which the account belongs shall be displayed prominently. For MCN agencies that use contracted accounts to engage in coordinated hype or that have repeatedly engaged in violations, website platforms shall take measures such as suspending monetisation privileges, restricting the provision of services, and removing them from the platform.

Interpretation:

MCN (Multi-Channel Network) agencies are organisations that aggregate and manage multiple self-media accounts. They typically enter into partnerships with self-media accounts and provide services including content production, channel operations, advertising and marketing, and commercial monetisation. This provision requires website platforms to strengthen the management of MCN agencies so that they cannot use the accounts under their control to commit violations.

12

Strictly handling violations. Website platforms shall promptly discover and strictly handle self-media violations. For self-media accounts that fabricate and publish rumours, exploit social hot events, or publish and disseminate illegal and harmful information through account matrices, causing adverse impacts, they shall be closed without exception, added to the platform’s blacklist account database, and reported to the cyberspace administration departments. For self-media accounts that repost rumours, measures such as revoking interactive functions, removing followers, revoking monetisation privileges, imposing speech restrictions, and closing the accounts shall be taken. For self-media accounts that publish information in fields such as finance, education, healthcare, and justice without having passed qualification certification, measures such as revoking interactive functions, imposing speech restrictions, and closing the accounts shall be taken.

Interpretation:

This provision emphasises what is required of platforms in dealing with self-media violations: they must be detected promptly and handled strictly. It also specifies concrete measures for violations such as fabricating and publishing rumours, exploiting social hot events, publishing and disseminating illegal and harmful information through account matrices, reposting rumours, and publishing information in fields such as finance, education, healthcare, and justice without having passed qualification certification.

13

Strengthening the handling and public exposure of typical cases. Website platforms shall strengthen the handling and public exposure of violating self-media accounts, set up warning education columns, regularly publish typical cases of violating self-media accounts, and warn self-media accounts to practice good self-management.

Interpretation:

This provision requires platforms to step up the handling and public exposure of violating self-media accounts, with the aim of warning and educating through public disclosure of how violations are dealt with. This not only helps correct violations that have already occurred but also deters other self-media accounts and reduces the incidence of violations. It also lets internet users better understand the nature and consequences of violations, raising public awareness of the need to keep the online environment healthy.

The article-by-article interpretation above shows that the CAC’s latest provisions on strengthening self-media management target the current disorder closely, and that each provision is practical and operable. Their implementation is expected to change certain undesirable present conditions, specifically as follows:

(1) Website platforms will bear more management responsibility for self-media, including review of account holders’ identity information and qualifications, labelling of information, timely handling of rumours and violations, management of MCN agencies, and public disclosure of how cases were handled.

(2) The sources of information published by self-media will become more transparent. Through a series of requirements, such as stricter account information review, standardised annotation of information sources, stronger qualification certification, display of account names on publishing pages, and tighter management of MCN agencies, the sources of self-media information will be easy to trace.

(3) The authenticity of self-media information will improve. Because sources are easy to trace, publishers will be more careful about what they publish. At the same time, strict handling of violations will make it hard for self-media to profit from them, removing the incentive to publish false information.

(4) The self-media information environment will become healthier. As a result of these measures, self-media accounts that impersonate official institutions, news media, and specific individuals will be shut down, profit-seeking violations will be cracked down on, the spread of false information will be reduced, and warning and education will be reinforced through the handling and public exposure of violations, making the self-media information environment healthier.

IV. Outlook on Self-Media Regulation

Any new phenomenon tends to cut both ways. Self-media is a product of the rapid advance of internet information technology, which has greatly improved the efficiency of information dissemination and lowered the barriers to it, so that everyone can become a source of information. It has also brought a flood of false information and made truth hard to tell from falsehood. Institutions and regulation inevitably lag behind social development. As the problems caused by self-media disorder become more prominent, corresponding regulatory measures are imperative.

For the general public, stronger management of self-media means that the information received online is as truthful and accurate as possible, so that people are not deceived or misled by false information or exploited by malicious actors. For the country and society as a whole, a clean online information environment and a healthy online ecosystem are of great significance for maintaining social stability and public order and safeguarding national security.

At the same time, it should be noted that China has always advocated respecting and protecting citizens’ freedom of speech. Strengthening the management of self-media is aimed at cracking down on conduct that violates laws, regulations, and public order and good morals, and by no means implies suppressing free speech or innovation. On the contrary, a healthy self-media environment can promote social openness and progress.

As the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics continues to improve and develop, and the modernisation of the national governance system and governance capacity continues to advance, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will certainly be able to regulate and govern the self-media industry and the online environment effectively. This will protect the public interest, maintain social stability and public order, and safeguard national security, while promoting the innovation, development, and prosperity of the self-media industry and making our online environment clean, wholesome, and full of vitality.

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