Chinese regulators tighten grip on live-streaming e-commerce, intensifying scrutiny on tech

  • China’s internet and market watchdogs, along with several other regulators, issued new rules to regulate the live-streaming sector
  • Influencers and vendors are increasingly turning to live streams to sell products on the internet

A live streamer promotes a dress during a live-streaming session, inside a booth set up at a show venue during China Fashion Week in Beijing, China, on March 31, 2021. Photo: Reuters

China’s internet watchdog and six other regulators have jointly released new rules to regulate live streaming in the country’s booming e-commerce sector, set to go into effect on May 25, in Beijing’s latest move to tighten oversight of the powerful digital economy.

Live-streaming service providers will be required to create a list specifying the categories of products and services that are either unlawful or unsuited for sales through live-streaming, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on its official website on Friday.

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