Crackdown initiated by internet regulator to safeguard minors

China's top internet regulator has launched a two-month nationwide campaign to crack down on online content that endangers the physical and mental health of minors, including short videos promoting dangerous activities such as the "choking challenge".

The Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission announced the campaign, which will cover much of the school summer vacation period, on Tuesday. The effort targets harmful and provocative content related to violence, superstition, pornography and materials that induce self-harm or suicide, along with violations of minors' privacy.

Authorities will also clean up vulgar and materialistic content and crack down on illegal activities targeting minors, the office said.

Specific harmful online content was outlined in the announcement, including instances where individuals have engaged in cyberbullying and "online indecency" of minors under the guise of selling celebrity merchandise, offering free study partners or providing customized photo services.

The term online indecency refers to criminals using social media to deceive or coerce minors into participating in naked video chats or sending nude photos, an issue that has raised public concern in China.

Last year, an 11-year-old girl surnamed Chen from Beijing's Mentougou district fell into such a trap while seeking the services of a study partner online for free, according to the Beijing Daily. In March last year, Chen connected on social media with a user surnamed Zhou, who claimed to offer free study supervision but repeatedly coerced her into calling him "master" and forced her to send nude photos and videos.

Zhou was found to have remotely molested other girls as well. In November, he was sentenced to five years in prison for child molestation by a local court.

The campaign will also target content that induces minors to engage in dangerous offline activities, including teaching them how to make hazardous "creative crafts "such as "pen guns" and "toothpick crossbows", and enticing them to try "stair jumping", the choking challenge and other stunts. Officials noted that these activities can cause physical harm.

In November, middle school students in Yiyang, Hunan province, were found participating in the choking challenge, which can lead to brain damage. In widely circulated videos on social media, a student was shown standing against a wall while another pressed on his chest until he briefly lost consciousness and collapsed.

The office also said the campaign will crack down on content that exploits images of minors for profit, including videos that sensationalize relationships between minors or show fake fights between siblings to attract views and generate revenue.

The campaign will monitor the content available on children's smart devices and the improper use of artificial intelligence functions that could lead to addiction among minors, the office said.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn