Curbing online misconduct

Authorities, platforms tackle issue, but netizens also urged to regulate behavior

Multiple government departments and internet enterprises have taken measures recently to crack down on online disorder, but experts have said netizens also have to regulate their own behavior in cyberspace.

Although the authorities' and platforms' joint efforts will provide stronger protection for netizens, the online environment will truly become orderly only when every internet user shuns disorderly conduct, they said.

Their remarks came after Chinese judicial authorities, and internet regulators and operators, released documents in recent weeks to fight against online misconduct such as cyberbullying and conveying false information.

On Tuesday, 16 internet enterprises signed an agreement with the Beijing Internet Association to increase their self-management in order to promote the healthy development of cyberspace.

The enterprises include short-video service providers Douyin and Kuaishou, as well as Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, and Baidu, the nation's largest search engine.

They pledged to work against cyberbullying by upgrading their early warning systems to protect users and by strictly punishing netizens who insult others or instigate conflict, with stricter reviews on "We media" — personal social media accounts and other media platforms run by individuals — to prevent the spread of online rumors.

They also vowed to offer more high-quality videos, photos, articles and livestreams by following algorithms, and to blacklist or shut down "We media" accounts that convey illegal information.

Earlier, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's top internet regulator, issued a notification requiring websites and platforms to intensify their management of "We media" accounts to maintain order in cyberspace.

On July 7, a draft regulation on combating cyberbullying that was formulated by the administration began soliciting public opinion. The draft specifies that internet service providers must set up early warning systems to detect online bullying as quickly as possible, with channels set up for victims to protect themselves. The deadline for collecting the public's comments is Aug 6.

A month ago, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, along with the Ministry of Public Security, also gathered public opinions on a draft guideline against cyberbullying in order to more effectively prevent such behavior.

That draft identifies some behaviors that qualify as cyberbullying and specifies what crimes should lead to criminal charges. The solicitation ended on June 25.

Zheng Ning, head of the law department at the Communication University of China's Cultural Industries Management School, welcomed the measures, adding that many types of online misconduct, such as cyberbullying, have to be curbed through joint efforts.

Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer from Beijing Yunjia Law Firm, agreed. He said the measures indicate that China is paying greater attention to online disorderliness and has realized that joint efforts will be more effective than individual departments launching campaigns alone.

"Cyberspace governance in the new era demands a comprehensive remedy because many online problems, such as rumors and bullying, involve more than one management department, covering technical and legal issues as well," he said.

"Therefore, internet platforms should keep optimizing information technologies to identify the problems as quickly as they can to prevent netizens from being further harmed. Meanwhile, depending on the severity of the problems, government and judicial agencies should specify through guidelines and interpretations what punishments violators would receive to ensure the convergence of administrative and legal measures.

"Only when systematic regulations are made at the same time will improper cyberspace behavior be effectively prevented."

The two experts expressed their high hopes about the series of measures being taken against online misconduct, but they still called on netizens to curb their own misconduct so that people can surf the internet in a civil manner.

"Regarding those who misbehave in cyberspace, such as bullies or rumormongers, we cannot rely solely on strict management and punishment. We also need to educate and call on all netizens to regulate their own behavior on the internet," Zheng said.

"Such education should be provided from an early age so that everyone understands that cyberspace is not a lawless domain and can recognize what constitutes inappropriate content among the abundant information."

Cyberbullying and spreading false information have often made headlines over the years. China's steps to fight such misconduct have accelerated in recent years, as these acts not only disturb the order of cyberspace but also seriously affect people's sense of security.

In addition to the measures, the Cyberspace Administration of China has conducted campaigns to address different online problems every year. The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate have also issued judicial interpretations on infringements on personal information and on fighting rumors.