China Launches Campaign for a Positive Online Spring Festival
China's Cyberspace Administration (CAC) has launched a month-long campaign to improve the online environment and promote a positive and harmonious atmosphere for the upcoming 2025 Spring Festival. This marks the fifth year the CAC has undertaken this initiative ahead of the festival, recognizing its significance for the Chinese people.
This includes tackling online disputes over festival galas or sports events, disparaging cultural customs, making regional discriminatory remarks, and inciting gender confrontations.
The campaign aims to combat the spread of false information through tactics like fabricated year-end reviews, impersonating delivery personnel, and generating rumors related to public policy, social welfare, and travel.
The CAC will address the issue of indecent content, including celebrity gossip, vulgar livestreams, and harmful self-harming or excessive eating and drinking challenges disguised as entertainment.
The campaign will tackle the promotion of harmful cultures, such as flaunting wealth and offering paid online fortune-telling and divination services that sensationalize superstition.
The campaign will focus on attracting network traffic through illegal activities, including fake discount links, refund scams, and links to pornography and gambling.
The CAC will address consumer rights violations, such as algorithmic discrimination, unclear coupon conditions leading to discount fraud, and misleading commercial livestreaming.
The CAC emphasizes the importance of responsible use of technology and its potential to amplify harmful speech. The campaign aims to ensure a healthy cyberspace ecosystem by regulating algorithms and penalizing websites, platforms, and individuals engaging in serious violations.
Experts believe this initiative is crucial to address the increasing instances of promoting indecent and inappropriate content online. They emphasize the need to promptly and effectively address these issues to maintain social order and values.
7 Comments
Michelangelo
The CAC has a history of being arbitrary and inconsistent in its enforcement. This makes it difficult for people to know what is actually allowed and what is not.
Leonardo
I am proud of the government for taking this initiative. I believe it shows that they are committed to creating a better online environment for all citizens.
Raphael
This campaign will create a chilling effect on free speech. People will be hesitant to express their opinions for fear of being punished.
Donatello
This campaign will ultimately be ineffective. People will always find ways to circumvent regulations and express themselves online.
Michelangelo
This campaign is an example of "nanny state" government. The CAC should not be dictating what people can and cannot say online.
ArtemK
This campaign is unnecessary. People are already capable of making their own decisions about what is appropriate to post online.
BuggaBoom
This campaign is likely to be counterproductive. It will raise awareness of the banned activities and encourage people to participate in them.