China's Internet Regulator Launches Two-Month Crackdown on Social Media

China's top internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has announced a two-month crackdown on social media, vowing to combat "malicious incitement of conflict" and "negative outlooks on life." The crackdown aims to regulate issues such as exploiting social hot spots, disseminating economic rumors, and promoting negative outlooks on life. The CAC has penalized three popular digital platforms, Weibo, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu, for neglecting content management duties.

China's top internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has initiated a two-month crackdown on social media, aiming to combat "malicious incitement of conflict" and "negative outlooks on life." The campaign, which began on Monday, September 22, 2025, targets specific online issues, including exploiting social hot spots, disseminating economic rumors, and promoting negative life outlooks China says combating 'malicious' content in two-month ...^[2].

The CAC has penalized three popular digital platforms—Weibo, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu—for neglecting content management duties. On Saturday, September 20, the regulator announced disciplinary and punitive measures against Weibo and Kuaishou, accusing them of highlighting celebrity news and "undesirable" content. The CAC stated that these platforms failed to fulfill their primary responsibility in content management, particularly with regard to popular search rankings and content that over-hypes celebrities China extends social media sanctions to include Weibo, Kuaishou^[3].

The CAC's announcement follows similar actions taken against Xiaohongshu on September 11. The regulator requires social media platforms to moderate content to avoid subversive, vulgar, pornographic, or generally harmful material. The crackdown aims to foster a more civilized and rational online environment China says combating 'malicious' content in two-month ...^[2].

Weibo and Kuaishou have acknowledged the criticism and have established special task forces to lead rectification efforts. Both platforms have pledged to take the matter seriously and accept the CAC's criticism China fines Kuaishou, Weibo over content violations^[1].

The two-month campaign, whose start date was not specified in the initial statement, will target specific online issues. These include exploiting social hot spots to forcibly associate identity, region, or gender with other information, disseminating rumors about the economy, finance, social welfare, and public policy, and promoting negative outlooks on life such as "lying flat" culture China says combating 'malicious' content in two-month ...^[2].

The CAC has not specified the exact punitive actions against the three platforms, but the measures may include summons for interviews, injunctions to correct breaches within a specified period, warnings, and strict sanctions against those responsible China extends social media sanctions to include Weibo, Kuaishou^[3].

This crackdown underscores China's ongoing efforts to control and regulate the internet, aiming to maintain social stability and promote a positive online environment. Investors and financial professionals should monitor these developments, as they could impact the operations and financial health of these platforms.