China internet watchdog to ban online gaslighting of entrepreneurs as Beijing shows friendlier face to private sector

Narratives such as ‘Chinese private entrepreneurs are traitors’ or ‘it’s time for China’s private economy to retreat’ will be targeted

The campaign aims to create a ‘benign online space for public opinions’ so that entrepreneurs can focus on developing their businesses

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CACC is to crack down on online abuse of Chinese entrepreneurs. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 8:00pm, 28 Apr 2023

China’s internet watchdog launched a special campaign on Friday to ban gaslighting of the country’s entrepreneurs, as Beijing works to reinstall confidence in the private sector to revive a slowing economy.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a post on its official WeChat account that the campaign, which will last for three months, will target false or inaccurate information about Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs, and aim to root out online websites and accounts that infringe upon peoples’ rights.

Narratives such as “Chinese private entrepreneurs are traitors” or “it’s time for China’s private economy to retreat” will be targeted. The watchdog will also crack down on any leaks of private biographical information pertaining to private entrepreneurs as well as their health records, financial accounts, travel itineraries, home addresses and telephone numbers.

The campaign aims to create a “benign online space for public opinions” so that entrepreneurs can focus on developing their businesses without being distracted, according to the CAC post.

The special campaign comes almost one month after Niu Yibing, deputy director at the CAC, said at a Beijing press conference in late March that the agency would prioritise the online business environment this year.