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Baidu’s live-streamed annual tech conference briefly cut off on WeChat service amid China’s tightened online content rules

  • Baidu World 2022, which started its live stream at 9am on Thursday, was cut off for nearly half an hour on WeChat Channels
  • The sudden interruption was because of the organiser’s failure to apply for an approval in advance from authorities, according to a Tencent spokesman

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The live stream of Baidu World 2022 on July 21, 2022, was not interrupted on other online platforms, such as the various video accounts run by state-owned broadcaster China Central Television. Photo: Weibo
Che Pan
The live stream of internet giant Baidu’s annual flagship technology conference on Thursday was abruptly cut off for nearly half an hour on WeChat Channels, a service run by Tencent Holdings, for not being preregistered with Chinese authorities.
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Baidu World 2022, which started its live stream at 9am, was suddenly interrupted because the event’s organiser failed to apply for an approval in advance from authorities, according to Zhang Jun, a senior public relations manager at Tencent.

All “large-scale live-streaming” programmes on WeChat Channel require preregistration with the proper authorities, Zhang said. He added that Baidu World’s live stream resumed right after an “emergency coordination”.

Baidu’s live-streamed event, however, was not interrupted on other platforms such as its own service, Baidu Live, and various video accounts run by state-owned broadcaster China Central Television.
Xu Baoqiang, general manager of Baidu Autonomous Driving Vehicle manager, briefs members of the media in Beijing on the Apollo RT6, a new electric vehicle with an “optional” steering wheel, on July 20, 2022. The RT6 was formally unveiled at the Baidu World conference on July 21, 2022, as part of the company’s robotaxi fleet. Photo: AP
Xu Baoqiang, general manager of Baidu Autonomous Driving Vehicle manager, briefs members of the media in Beijing on the Apollo RT6, a new electric vehicle with an “optional” steering wheel, on July 20, 2022. The RT6 was formally unveiled at the Baidu World conference on July 21, 2022, as part of the company’s robotaxi fleet. Photo: AP
The intervention by WeChat reflects how internet platforms are deferring to Beijing’s tightened grip on online content, including various live-streamed activities, while rooting out material that fails to fit the values that the government endorses.
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