China to Crack Down on ‘Chaotic’ Online Fan Culture
China will transfer to crack down on the “chaotic” on-line superstar fan tradition, the nation’s our on-line world regulator stated in a discover printed on Friday, a part of an ongoing state marketing campaign to “rectify” the Internet sector.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) stated it will take motion towards the dissemination of “harmful information” in superstar fan teams and shut down dialogue channels that unfold superstar scandals or “provoke trouble”.
Beijing has in latest months voiced sturdy criticism of fan tradition after plenty of celebrities together with Canadian-Chinese pop star Kris Wu and Chinese actor Zhang Zhehan have been caught up in scandals and has requested its Internet corporations to train social accountability.
Companies which have up to now responded embrace video streaming platform iQiyi and the Twitter-like Weibo which have introduced modifications to their choices.
The CAC stated it would enhance the best way it regulates the promotion of celebrities on-line and likewise ban lists that rank celebrities by recognition, the discover stated.
It can even take motion towards the monetary exploitation of netizens by means of the sale of merchandise or by charging followers to vote for his or her favorite acts in on-line selection reveals. It additionally goals to limit entry to on-line fan teams for minors.
Earlier this month, Weibo took down a listing that ranked celebrities by recognition after state media stated social media platforms must rein within the promotion of superstar tradition to guard youngsters.
On Thursday, Chinese video-streaming platform iQiyi introduced that it will cease displaying “idol competition” programmes.
The firm, China’s equal of Netflix, dropped the third season of its well-liked expertise present “Youth with You” earlier than its finale earlier this yr after an issue through which followers of the present have been filmed losing milk of their bid to qualify to vote.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
