China has stepped up efforts to remove fake news and rumors from the internet, shutting down more than 100,000 social media accounts last month, the country’s digital affairs regulator said.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has launched a special campaign to control information posted online, targeting social media accounts it believes are spreading fake news and which it believes are impersonating state-controlled media.
The regulator said it had removed since April 6 107,000 accounts that publish, according to the authorities, false news and 835,000 contents considered disinformation.
The spread of news on Chinese social media is already tightly controlled in the country, with platforms such as Weibo favoring topical hashtags produced by state media while censoring others on issues or incidents deemed sensitive by Beijing, even if they go viral.
CAC said its analysis found accounts masquerading as media outlets, spoofing news studio footage and posing as professional journalists. The accounts used artificial intelligence to create anchors that misled the public, according to the agency.
The fake news identified involved social incidents and international current affairs, according to a statement from the regulator.
The Chinese government regularly takes comprehensive steps to remove material and language that it deems inappropriate, offensive, and poses a threat to the public and businesses.
Recently, the CAC pledged to crack down on online comments that damage the reputation of businesses and entrepreneurs.
Nascent generative AI technology has introduced an extra layer of caution. China recently arrested a man in Gansu province on suspicion of using the ChatGPT chatbot to generate a false story about a train crash.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
