China erases over nine thousand social media accounts of independent news providers

World

China's top cyber authority has scrubbed 9,800 social media accounts of independent news providers deemed to have posted sensational, vulgar or politically harmful content on the Internet, it said late on Monday.

China's strict online censorship rules have tightened in recent years with new legislation to restrict media outlets, surveillance measures for media sites and rolling campaigns to remove content deemed unacceptable.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement that the campaign, launched on Oct. 20, had erased the accounts for violations that included “spreading politically harmful information, maliciously falsifying (Chinese Communist) party history, slandering heroes and defaming the nation's image.”

CAC also summoned social media giants, including Tencent's Wechat and Sina-owned Weibo, warning them against failing to prevent “uncivilized growth” and “all kinds of chaos” among independent media on their platforms.

Online commentators noted that some of the accounts closed had been sharing false or pornographic content - both of which are illegal in China - but also lamented that some of the accounts targeted in this latest sweep appeared to have merely been too critical.

Comments

Still No Comments Posted.

Leave Comments

Most Reviews

May 31, 2025

- 475 - 0

Flt Lt Kasun Cumaratunga , more than a pilot, a guardian remembered on his 37th death anniversary

Kasun, was born in 28th Sept 1964, the grandson of the legendary author and linguist Munidasa Cumaratunga and son of SSP Bindu Kumaratunga and Winifred

June 2, 2025

- 443 - 0

National Tax week launched

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) backed by the Excise and Customs Department today launched a fresh drive to collect taxes including some Rs.780 billion listed as ‘collectable defaults’.

June 2, 2025

- 344 - 0

SriLankan Airlines’ new A330 Fleet to perform low fly past over Colombo on Wed.

May 29, 2025

- 259 - 0

Mahindananda and Nalin Fernando Jailed

Former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando have sentenced to 20 and 25 years respectively after they were found guilty in a case of fraud.

May 30, 2025

- 254 - 0

In Pix: Weather situation in Colombo

June 3, 2025

- 183 - 0

Krishanthi Kumaraswami convicts FR dismissed by SC

The Supreme Court today unanimously dismissed a Fundamental Rights petition filed by five convicts in the 1996 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy abduction, rape, and murder case.