Webdesk: After a crackdown on “self-media” accounts, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) removed 1.4 million social media posts.
The CAC investigated falsehoods, unlawful profiteering, and state official impersonation for two months. The CAC announced on Friday that it terminated 67,000 social media accounts and deleted hundreds of thousands of posts between March 10 and May 22 as part of a “rectification” exercise.
China is purging its cyberspace to improve government control. The nation regulated billions of social media accounts since 2021. The recent crackdown targeted “self-media” accounts, which post news and information without official clearance. This operation targeted WeChat, Douyin, and Weibo.
When sensitive or critical content goes viral, the Chinese government arrests persons and censors accounts. Nearly 8,000 CAC-closed accounts spread bogus news, rumors, and dangerous content.
Moreover, 930,000 more accounts penalized with follower loss, temporary suspension, or revocation of profit-making capabilities. In a separate initiative, the regulator shut down over 100,000 accounts allegedly misrepresenting news anchors and media firms to combat AI-enabled online fake news.
While, The CAC’s recent attempts targeted 13,000 bogus military accounts with names like “Chinese Red Army Command,” “Chinese Anti-terrorist Force,” and “Strategic Missile Force.” 25,000 more accounts impersonated public institutions including disease control centers and state-run research institutes.
187,000 accounts punished for pretending to be news media outlets. While, nearly 430,000 accused of providing unqualified professional advice or education. Hyping trending topics, seeking popularity, and illicit monetisation cancelled 45,000 accounts.
Moreover, The CAC stressed its close cooperation with public security and market monitoring to crack down on illicit “self-media” accounts. It encouraged netizens to actively monitor and report such illegal acts to keep internet clean and regulated.
