Crackdown Intensifies: China's Cyberspace Regulator Targets ByteDance and Alibaba

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has taken decisive action against ByteDance's Toutiao and Alibaba's UCWeb for content violations, becoming the latest targets in the government's crackdown on online behavior. Both platforms faced penalties for what the CAC described as 'disrupting the online ecosystem order.'

The crackdown accompanies a nationwide campaign over the next two months aimed at curbing online content that might incite violence or hostility, and aligns with long-term efforts to establish a 'clean and healthy' cyberspace that favors the Communist Party's socialist values. Toutiao was found permitting 'harmful content' in its trending topics, while UCWeb was accused of allowing sensitive cases to populate its main trending topics list, according to the CAC.

In response, the platforms have expressed compliance, with Toutiao forming a task force to combat non-compliant content. Meanwhile, other Chinese regulatory bodies are scrutinizing commerce and market practices within the nation's sprawling private sector amid economic concerns and youth unemployment. This multipronged regulatory drive underscores the government's increased enforcement efforts across various sectors.