China Cracks Down on Online Rumors and Illegal Activities with "Clean Internet 2024" Campaign

China's public security forces implemented rigorous actions against online influencers and multi-channel networks engaged in spreading rumors and causing hype last year. A report from China Media Group reveals that over 47,000 individuals were apprehended as part of the extensive "Clean Internet 2024" campaign, which aimed to eliminate various forms of illegal online activities. Throughout the year, authorities investigated over 119,000 incidences of such misconduct.

The initiative aimed particularly at halting the operations of influencers and networks disseminating false information. Over 42,000 cases related to online rumors were scrutinized, resulting in significant actions that included the closure of more than 330,000 illegal accounts and the removal of over 2.52 million instances of false content from the internet.

In April, the ministry spotlighted ten significant cases of online rumor suppression, one of which involved a viral video that incited a nationwide search. The video, uploaded by a blogger named Xu from Zhejiang province, portrayed a restaurant worker in Paris returning purported homework to a fictional child, “Qin Lang from Class Eight.” This misleading content prompted a social media frenzy as users sought to find the nonexistent student.

Investigations revealed that Xu and her company director, identified as Xue, had fabricated the video scenario and used generic homework booklets bought online to stage their act. As a consequence, both faced administrative repercussions and were mandated to deliver public apologies; moreover, Xu’s social media accounts, which had garnered millions of followers, were suspended from the platform.

Additionally, the authorities targeted behaviors such as online insults, defamation, and invasions of privacy, looking into over 8,000 cases of cyberbullying. The crackdown also encompassed more than 1,000 incidents linked to "online troll farms," which were involved in rumor spreading and extortion tactics via public opinion manipulation and deletion of paid posts.

Efforts to dismantle illicit markets dealing in personal data led to the arrest of over 12,000 individuals in connection with more than 7,000 cases involving the theft and trafficking of citizens' private information. These measures were deemed effective in protecting citizens' rights and safeguarding their informational security, as the report indicated.

Furthermore, over 500,000 pieces of illegal content related to violence, gore, pornography, and terrorism were taken down. The authorities intensified their focus on youth at risk of suicidal thoughts or self-harm by enhancing monitoring measures and establishing early warning systems on these online platforms.