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China’s news websites have been told to clean up public comments that endanger state security, challenge socialism and incite ethnic hatred. Photo: Reuters

China’s internet regulator tightens screw on online speech as it targets ‘detested’ public comments on news websites

China’s internet regulator has vowed to crack down on online comment sections of news websites and social media platforms it says disrupt information dissemination and harm the healthy environment for public opinion – as it tightens another screw on the already heavily controlled online speech.

Ren urged the news websites to clean up comments that violated the official “nine don’ts and seven bottom lines” – including endangering state security, challenging socialism and inciting ethnic hatred.

Such cyberspace regulations have seen vocal online celebrities being silenced.

Ren also urged the websites to make it easier for people to report “harmful” information by building a mechanism for the public to supervise one another’s comments.

Meanwhile, he asked the websites to launch an extensive campaign to post positive and rational comments” to foster a “healthy and well-intentioned” online culture.

Ren delivered the orders to government-controlled news websites and commercial internet companies through a nationwide video conference, according to the statement.

Representatives from the commerical websites Tencent and Netease, and Huanqiu.com, which is affiliated to the party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, all vowed to follow the orders during the conference.

A recent study led by Harvard University scholar Gary King said that every year Beijing was faking about 488 million social media comments, which were singing the praises of the government.

In its continuous and ever-tightening grip on online speech, China’s internet regulators first launched a widespread crackdown on outspoken online celebrities – including billionaire venture capitalist Charles Xue Biqun and investor Wang Gongquan – in the autumn of 2013, when the “seven bottom lines” were first highlighted.

Real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang’s social media accounts were blocked in early 2016 after he posted comments that publicly challenged President Xi Jinping’s order to state media to show absolute loyalty to the Communist Party.

Ren’s party membership was later suspended for his “vile influence”.

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