BEIJING (AFP) — China’s top internet regulator is curbing social media content that fanned fears about getting married or having children during the Lunar New Year holiday period.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) in a statement on Thursday, listed “inciting gender antagonism and exaggerating ‘fear of marriage’ and ‘anxiety about childbirth’” as primary examples of content “maliciously inciting negative emotions” that should be taken down by social media platforms.
Beijing is seeking to boost the country’s birthrate to head off a demographic crunch as its population ages, as young Chinese are delaying or opting out of having children.
Aimed at creating a “festive, peaceful, and positive online atmosphere for Chinese New Year,” the month-long crackdown will target a range of topics, including what the CAC called “digital slop.”
The statement said major social media platforms would be urged to establish task forces, strengthen staffing and increase online inspections, particularly during the upcoming nine-day holiday.
Sites that host unacceptable content will be investigated and punished, it warned.
The regulator also singled out mass-produced artificial intelligence (AI) content that “exaggerates family conflicts and intergenerational clashes, such as ‘parental favoritism,’ ‘mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts,’ and ‘sibling fights’” to generate traffic.
Also in the crosshairs is AI content that is “low-quality... illogical, (and) empty of information.”
Content “flaunting wealth,” vulgar and violent videos, as well as suggestive images and text will also not be tolerated, the CAC said.
Beijing requires social media companies to moderate their platforms, and the CAC plays the role of the country’s top censor in relaying standards and monitoring how they are applied.