China Cracks Whip On Sexual Content Distributed Via WeChat
Source: Paul Lilly
WeChat users in China will have to keep stories of one-night stands to themselves. That's because China's Internet regulator, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has posted new guidelines that prohibit sexual and otherwise vulgar content the popular messaging application owned by Tencent Holdings.
Also out are stories of "wife-swapping, sexual abuse, and other harmful information." The same goes for explicit pictures and text, such as nude photos and erotic anime, all of which are now banned on WeChat. Users who ignore the ban will be subject to a one-week suspension the first time they're caught. After four slaps on the wrist, accounts that continue to run afoul of the rules will be banned permanently.
This is China's latest attempt to clean up the Internet. As part of the effort, the CAC also banned drug advertisements for illegal sexual enhancement products or sexually transmitted diseases, along with voyeuristic pictures and leaked media.
WeChat goes by the name Weixin in China. It's easily the country's most popular messaging app with around half a billion users, which makes it a target for censorship in the region. Last month alone, the CAC reportedly removed over 60,000 online accounts that were linked one way or another to spreading rumors, pornography, and terrorism.
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