Chris M
Chinese authorities have started cracking down on yet more websites that don’t fit with the strict internet protocols in the country.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has punished 10 sites based within the so-called – ‘Great Firewall’ for failing to ensure its content is compliant.
Under Chinese law, website owners are expected to take responsibility if third-parties use their platform for illicit purposes. Most Western countries protect websites from such action, but both 2020 US Election candidates are in favor of removing such protections.
As well as the ‘Great Firewall’ which cuts access to many Western sites at the source, Chinese laws have also outlawed the use of VPNs and other technologies designed to protect user privacy.
The CAC announcement talks in splendidly descriptive terms including “chaotic content”, “revealing clothing” and “vulgar hot dances” which are , “seriously deviating from the core values of socialism”.
Platforms,, including iXigua, a sister-site to TikTok for the local market, and Bilibili have been ‘reprimanded’ and told they must overhaul their feeds and rectify content before allowing new users to join.
“Some female live-stream hosts wore revealing clothing, while some male hosts used vulgar words and actions, performed vulgar hot dances, spoofs, called names and other phenomena despite repeated prohibition,” claimed the CAC.
The most serious offenders have been registered on a government blacklist, which could lead to further difficulties in a country where falling foul of the law can follow you around in all kinds of ways.
Only last year, the CAC removed discussion groups from Bilibili, simply for discussing LGBT topics.
A report from AFP also mentioned a couple from the city of Zhengzhou who created and live-streamed an amateur ‘fake cab’ porn video. The couple was arrested, and are also being sued by ridesharing app Didi Chuxing.
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