Feb. 8, 2021 - Epoch Times
03:42
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| Time | Text |
|---|---|
| The Chinese Communist Party has further tightened its control over speech, information and public opinion by announcing restrictions on what is allowed on Chinese social media. | |
| The country's social media platforms recently issued notices to users, requiring them to obtain Internet news information service licenses. | |
| Otherwise, they will be banned from commenting on politics, economics, the military, diplomacy and other major news. | |
| According to these notices, if a user does not have a license, they are advised not to compile, publish, comment, or interpret any information on current affairs. | |
| The notices from Internet service companies Sohu and Baidu are more forceful. | |
| They clearly state that users are now required not to post or share such information without approval and claim the purpose is to discipline unregulated online commentators. | |
| Sohu's notice also listed penalties for those who violate the new regulations. | |
| For reposting existing information, the notice said that unlicensed accounts spreading prohibited current affairs content will be banned for seven days. | |
| If they violate the rule for a second time, their account will be suspended for 15 days. | |
| And the third violation will lead to a 30-day suspension. | |
| If a user violates the reposting ban for a fourth time, their account will be permanently disabled. | |
| The penalties are harsher for those unlicensed accounts publishing original posts in violation of the rules. | |
| The notice said these accounts will be permanently banned once discovered. | |
| Commentators not affiliated with a state-approved media company have said it's almost impossible for them to be granted a license, given the long list of unrealistic requirements WeChat, Sohu, and Baidu are demanding on behalf of the authorities. | |
| The criteria means that personal accounts are not eligible for a license, according to a self-media professional. | |
| Netizens lamented that the new regulations will mean that the future of Chinese social media will belong to only a very small number of people. | |
| Ma Xiaolin, a veteran reporter who covered the Iraq war, said on Weibo on January 30th, As a researcher and columnist on international relations, it seems that from now on, I can only talk about eating, drinking, and having fun on social media. | |
| The CCP's Cyberspace Administration of China, CAC, is behind the push for the new social media restrictions. | |
| During its national meeting on January 29, the CAC announced that it would focus its resources on prominent problems that disrupt the peace and order of Internet communications, including viral topics and videos. | |
| Major Internet service providers that own social media platforms, such as Tencent and Sina Weibo, attended the meeting. | |
| Zhuang Rongwen, vice minister of the CCP's propaganda department and director of the CAC, The CAC also said that even for licensed media personalities, | |
| there is a review before posting policy, implying that they will not be able to discuss politically sensitive views on current affairs topics, including during live streams. | |
| Due to some new restrictions on social media our channel might be affected. | |
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