China’s internet watchdog shuts down 13,600 mukbang accounts for promoting food waste

The Cyberspace Administration of China closed down the accounts the past month, following President Xi Jinping’s call to end the country’s food waste problem

It marked the first time online eating shows were highlighted by the agency in its campaign to rid China’s internet of illegal and lowbrow content

Reading Time:2 minutes

Mukbang, a Korean term that translates to “eating broadcasts”, initially gained popularity in South Korea in 2010. It is a genre that has also become popular in China, where there is a vast audience hooked on short video-sharing services and live-streaming programmes. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:30pm, 3 Sep 2020Updated: 6:30pm, 3 Sep 2020

China’s internet watchdog has closed down 13,600 short video and live-streaming accounts, as the government doubles down on its campaign against food waste in popular online eating shows known as mukbang.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said the accounts it shut down the past month were found to have breached the government’s policy against food waste, according to a notice posted by the agency on its WeChat account on Wednesday.

Mukbang, a Korean term that translates to “eating broadcasts”, initially gained popularity in South Korea in 2010 via online streaming channels such as AfreecaTV. It is a genre that has also become popular in China, where there is a vast audience hooked on short video-sharing services and live-streaming programmes on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou.

While a growing number of streaming video content creators make a living by consuming large quantities of food on camera, they have become a target of criticism after President Xi Jinping last month called for an end to the country’s “shocking and distressing” problem of food waste.

Chinese short video platforms Douyin and Kuaishou now show a reminder to users who search keywords related to eating shows, urging them to not waste food. Photo: SCMP

Popular short video-sharing service operators Kuaishou and Douyin did not immediately respond to separate inquiries for comment on Thursday.

The CAC’s latest crackdown marked the first time online eating shows were prominently mentioned by the agency among its various campaigns to rid China’s internet of illegal and lowbrow content.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x