Chinese Influencers Must Now Be Qualified To Discuss Topics Like Law, Medicine & Finance Under New Regulations
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Chinese influencers will now need a qualification to talk about highly professional topics. According to a new "code of conduct" for influencers published by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, influencers who share content about certain topics, such as law, medicine, and finances, must hold a corresponding talk qualification. They then must show the qualifications to the live streaming platform for review and approval.
The "code of conduct" also prohibits live streamers from promoting content that "weakens or distorts leadership of the Chinese Community Party," using deepfake technology to tamper with party or state leaders, showing excessive food waste and luxury goods, or posting content that is sexually suggestive or provocative.
Creators that violate these rules risk being permanently banned from live streaming. Many of China’s most popular live streamers have faced punishment in recent months.
The latest rules are part of a big push by China to regulate live streaming across platforms such as Tencent, Alibaba, and ByteDance. In the last year and a half, it has put forth new regulations such as banning children under 16 years old from watching live streaming content after 10 p.m. and buying virtual gifts for creators.
China has a booming live streaming industry that generates an estimated 10 percent of its total e-commerce sales. With such tight restrictions and the high potential for creators to be banned due to violations, its economy could be impacted.
China’s recent regulations are a stark reminder that the creator economy can be a quite a different experience for creators in different parts of the world. Although many of its regulations are based on Chinese government policies, it makes you wonder if U.S. influencer regulations will ever be as strict. Probably not, but the idea of requiring creators to have some type of qualification in order to share content and advice on topics like medicine and finance doesn't seem so far-fetched.
