The Chinese regime strengthens control over the Internet: it seeks to promote “socialist values” and to stop the spread of “rumors”

The Chinese regime continues to step up efforts to tighten control over the Internet. This Tuesday the state press agency Xinhua reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the State Council jointly issued a series of guidelines promote a “cyberspace civilization”, urging government agencies to strengthen surveillance of news sites and platforms, and encouraging them to promote core “socialist values”.

This initiative is part of the Beijing campaign curb the expansion of the country’s internet giants, and increase your control over them.

Under the new guidelines, all levels of the Chinese regime must strengthen their governance of the “cyberspace environment” with the aim of controlling ideology, culture, moral standards and online behavior. For example, they need to further regulate how content is produced, published and delivered online.

After years of rampant growth and rapid change, Chinese regulators have sought to tighten control over the company with closer monitoring of a number of sectors, from technology to education and entertainment.

Cyberspace must be used promote education about the ruling Communist Party and its achievements, according to the guidelines published by the Council of State.

Likewise, a clear stand must be taken against “historical nihilism”, defined as any attempt to use the past. question the role of party leader or the “inevitability” of Chinese socialism, and good moral values ​​should be promoted, for example by publishing the cases of model workers, as Xinhua reports.

Standards of behavior in cyberspace also need to be strengthened by cultivating ethics and rules consistent with the core values ​​of socialism. In addition, Xi Jinping’s regime called on state agencies to help young people use the Internet “properly” and “safely.”

In this regard, the authorities will demand that internet platforms improve self-discipline and the governance of content platforms, such as live streaming, will be strengthened, encouraging the public to participate in oversight.

Also the formulation, revision and application of laws will be accelerated such as those related to cybercrime and the protection of minors.

Beijing will also create a national “rumor denial” mechanism based on a state website called “China Joint Internet Rumor Debunking Platform”. From the slogan South China Morning Post, the platform was launched last month by the state’s internet watchdog, the China Cyberspace Administration (CAC).

A few days after its announcement, the website posted a promotional video titled “Let the Rumors Spread,” in which a Beijing Internet surveillance agent and a municipal court judge, among others, performed in a song about the damage. caused by online rumors.

The website’s news page features articles on “anti-fake news” from various state-approved sites. This Tuesday, among the headlines released to deny the rumors were the rejection of the Chinese Embassy in Japan to criticism from the Japanese defense minister, a list of ten illegal social organizations, a clarification on a home care training school and an article on the recent coronavirus outbreak in the city from Fujian.

Since the start of the pandemic, Chinese authorities have stepped up monitoring and persecution not only against the regime’s critical voices, but also against those who have raised their voices on the coronavirus situation in the country. In early 2020, Wuhan police sanctioned eight people, including Dr. Li Wenliang, for spreading “rumors” about a covid-19 epidemic in the city. This repressive behavior by Beijing has contributed to the rapid spread of the virus around the world.

Communist Party guidelines also state that “Uncivilized issues” need to be addressed in areas such as online e-commerce and public accounts. That is, all those social media accounts managed by content producers need to be rated and categorized, and managed accordingly by local authorities.

Building civilization online was an idea that was also mentioned in China’s 14th Five Year Plan. In a chapter on “Raising the Level of Social Civilization,” the CCP said it plans to “strengthen online civilization building and develop a positive and healthy online culture.”

According to South China Morning Post, this common document comes at a time when Beijing is stepping up efforts to regulate the country’s burgeoning digital economy and prevent what the regime sees as “the disorderly expansion of capital.” In recent months, the Communist Party has tightened regulations on issues such as monopoly practices, strengthening data security and protecting consumer privacy.

These efforts by Xi Jining’s regime have put enormous pressure on Chinese online content providers, from social media platforms like Tencent’s WeChat to short video-sharing apps like Douyin, TikTok’s sister Chinese app, both. held by ByteDance.

(With information from Reuters and the South China Morning Post)

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