China’s new live-streaming guidelines set to change the influencer business known for its ‘low threshold, high income’
- A commentary by state media People’s Daily said live-streaming was ‘not a job which you can do just by preparing some equipment and jokes’
- There were at least 1.23 million ‘professional’ live-streaming hosts and aides working in the industry in 2020, according to iResearch
China’s new live-streaming guidelines have raised the bar for an industry once known for its “low threshold and high income”, requiring platforms to vet influencers in certain fields.
Short video app Kuaishou is asking its influencers to upload relevant records to prove their identity and credentials. Although it is not mandatory at this stage, those who complete the process receive a “verified” icon.
For example, an influencer claiming to be an economist can verify their credentials by uploading a photo of themselves holding an ID card and letter proving their position, according to public information on the app.
A commentary published by state media People’s Daily on Thursday said live-streaming was “not a job which you can do just by preparing some equipment and jokes”. “Some live-streamers who sell products online have accidentally brought trouble on themselves. The lesson is profound,” the paper said.
“To be a live-streamer, you must respect the rules. Don’t test the limits in order to get more traffic, [don’t] challenge the law to make money,” the People’s Daily said, adding that “playing too close to the edge” was also not acceptable.
The commentary was made a day after China issued new regulations on the live-streaming industry, including 31 banned behaviours and requirements for influencers to have relevant qualifications to discuss certain topics, such as law, finance, medicine and education.
The 18-point guideline was jointly published by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Kuaishou did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the impact of the latest policy. TikTok owner ByteDance and video platform Bilibili – both popular live-streaming platforms in China – did not respond to a similar request.