SHANGHAI/BEIJING (CHINA) – The top internet watchdog of China sought public opinion on Friday in a bid to update rules more than 20 years old and is aiming at widening oversight of online services to cover payment, shopping and livestreaming platforms.
In a first of its kind, the Cyberspace Administration of China defined “internet information services” within its ambit to include offerings by such platforms, as well as those providing news and search engines as well.
In its official WeChat account, it said the move would boost “the healthy and orderly development of Internet information services.”
The regulator said it would safeguard the rights and interests of citizens and organisations and protect national security and public interests.
The plan is open for public consultation until February 7 and this comes in the wake of China bolstering scrutiny of its tech giants and changing its laissez-faire approach towards cyberspace.
“Now becoming more specific is mainly to help administrative departments to enforce the rules in the real world,” said Shi Yuhang, a lawyer with the Huiye Law Firm.
“After these many years, the regulatory authorities have also deepened their understanding of the industry.”
The regulator is seen as the key enforcer of Beijing’s strict online censorship regulations in recent years. It first came out with its rules in 2000 but did not specify any definitions at that time.