The Cyberspace Administration of China announced that starting from July 24, 2025, a two-month special campaign will be launched to crack down on the dissemination of false information by "self-media" accounts. The campaign will cover all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The initiative aims to address serious issues such as maliciously exploiting hot topics, data fraud, and fake qualifications through a dual approach of technological governance and platform responsibility.
The campaign clearly targets four key areas: first, maliciously exploiting hot topics, including fabricating false information by impersonating individuals involved in or knowledgeable about hot events, and forging "authoritative data" in fields such as finance and military to mislead the public; second, data fraud techniques, such as using AI synthesis technology to create fake news, editing and splicing to manufacture false events, or manipulating hot search lists through刷榜 (click farming); third, issues with information labeling, where some accounts spread unverified content through vague sources or hidden labels, and even use matrix accounts to cite each other to conceal the real origin; fourth, false information in professional fields, where unauthenticated or fake-qualified individuals pose as experts to make statements against common sense, or create "influencer personas" through fake filming for traffic and e-commerce promotion.
The Cyberspace Administration of China requires website platforms to establish three mechanisms: mandatory source labeling options during the information release process, with unmarked content not allowed into the algorithm recommendation pool; refining the professional qualification certification process, dynamically verifying the match between account identity and business operations; and ensuring smooth reporting channels, with first-time violators receiving guidance, while those who maliciously fabricate information in key areas or impersonate hot event participants face long-term silence or account suspension. At the same time, platforms must improve negative list management, revenue permission management, and other systems, and legally penalize platforms with significant problems.
This campaign emphasizes "treating both symptoms and root causes," compressing the space for false information through technical means, such as optimizing AI-generated content identification functions, while also reinforcing the primary responsibility of platforms, requiring them to regularly investigate hidden and evolving issues. According to an official from the Cyberspace Administration, the special campaign will work in synergy with daily supervision, promoting the establishment of a credit evaluation system for the self-media industry, guiding content creators back to authentic and professional communication paths, and creating a trustworthy and orderly online environment for the public.