China Strengthens Online Crackdown Ahead of Two Sessions... Accounts and Posts Deleted

CAC Deletes Illegal Posts and Accounts
Security Strengthened Ahead of Major Political Events

Ahead of the upcoming Two Sessions (National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), marking the official launch of President Xi Jinping's third term, Chinese authorities have stepped up online crackdowns.

On the 1st, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced that through a recent special campaign, it had deleted 1.2 million illegal posts and over 160,000 accounts. The CAC has been conducting an internet rectification campaign since January.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The reasons for deleting problematic posts or accounts varied widely. More than 8,500 accounts and related groups that triggered conflicts among fans of lead actors in a recently released movie were identified, and authorities directly intervened to control online comments. It is also reported that they instructed the creation of fake box office figures for certain films. Additionally, the CAC stated that 7,900 posts and 407 accounts were dealt with for glorifying the imprisonment experiences of influencers and selling goods online.

Spreading false information related to COVID-19 or posting exaggerated content about economic issues were also targets of the crackdown. According to the announcement, about 140,000 related posts were identified during the campaign period, among which over 40,000 were short videos containing fabricated stories.

Furthermore, the CAC detected 43,000 pieces of false information and 3,000 accounts, as well as 280 live broadcasts, that induced smoking and drinking among youth or deliberately disparaged young people. It also deleted more than 200,000 posts and 2,800 related accounts promoting online gambling, handing over relevant clues and suspects to public security authorities.

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities typically intensify online censorship and security in major regions such as Beijing ahead of key political events. Crackdowns on areas closely related to daily life, such as parcel inspections, have also been strengthened, resulting in cancellations of shipments for anonymous orders and certain items.