Gossip blogging accounts, including ones from Chinese social networks Baidu and Tencent, will be ushered away from mainstream social media.
Chinese social network magnets have closed 60 accounts dedicated to celebrity gossip after authorities have imposed tighter regulations aimed to suppress the amount of rumors
As reported by Reuters, the Beijing Cyberspace Administration’s social media account unveiled a meeting between the social media giants and said that it expects websites in the country to “adopt effective measures to keep in check the problems of the embellishment of private sex scandals of celebrities, the hyping of ostentatious celebrity spending and entertainment and catering to the poor taste of the public.”
Furthermore, social media must also “actively propagate core socialist values, and create an ever-more healthy environment for the mainstream public opinion”, states Reuters.
Chinese gossip websites have been known to be persistent when it comes to investigative activities. This case shows that the Chinese authorities have recently been more active when surveilling independent media. Some early responses have been negative; however, these internet spaces were not the most approachable or friendly.
What we understand is that even Chinese social media magnets like Baidu and Tencent must respect the regulation passed by their governmental authorities, in line with counterparts such as Twitter and Facebook.
What are your thoughts about the restriction to celebrity gossip in China?
(Source)
