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    Half Tones

    Chinese Netizens Are Doing Regulators’ Jobs for Them, Data Suggests

    Oct 14, 2019

    Millions of pieces of “harmful information” are being scrubbed from the Chinese internet thanks to a growing number of netizens who are flagging such content for hosting platforms, the latest data from the country’s cyberspace watchdog suggests.

    The Cyberspace Administration of China said Friday that in the first half of 2019, the country’s netizens reported 68.58 million bits of online content they believed were inappropriate or harmful, up 8.9% from the same period last year.

    In January, the administration announced a six-month campaign targeting 12 types of “harmful information,” including that which regulators consider pornographic, vulgar, violent, superstitious, rumorous, or sensational. Authorities further said they had established 21 offices across the country and over 2,600 websites at which individuals could report suspected violations.

    China’s internet regulators have been ramping up efforts to sanitize various web platforms in recent months, including popular WeMedia accounts on WeChat and Weibo. Last year, Chinese netizens reported over 165 million bits of inappropriate content, according to Friday’s statement — far more than the 74 million and 40 million they reported in 2017 and 2016, respectively. (Image: VCG)