China launches campaign to tackle malicious short-video marketing

China's cyberspace administration launched a 3-month campaign to crack down on malicious marketing in the short-video sector to foster a clean and healthy online environment, according to a circular issued by Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission on Tuesday.

Starting from Tuesday, the campaign will focus on addressing issues in malicious marketing within the short-video domain, such as staged fake content, the spread of false information, actions that violate public order and social customs, and illegal traffic-driven marketing. The initiative aims to protect the legitimate rights and interests of netizens and promote the healthy and orderly development of the short-video industry.

As of December 2024, China's short-video user base has reached 1.04 billion. On average, users spend 156 minutes per day on short-video apps, making it the most-used category among all internet applications, according to an annual report on China's internet audiovisual service development published by the China Netcasting Services Association in March.

Self-media platforms, represented by short videos, have experienced rapid growth, becoming significant channels for netizens to express opinions, share their lives, and obtain information. However, incidents of malicious hype by some users, especially influencers, aiming to garner traffic, exposure, and economic gains, occur from time to time.

A self-media account in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province was found guilty of disseminating false information about a knife attack, disrupting online communication order and causing negative social impact. The account user was detained by the local police, the local cyberspace administration reported in March.

The new move is part of the Clear and Bright campaign initiated by China's cyberspace authorities to combat different forms of online misconduct and foster a cleaner and more orderly cyberspace.

In February, the cyberspace administration announced some of the key issues that the campaign would address, ranging from false information dissemination to the misuse of AI-generated content.