China’s internet regulator orders online AI algorithms to promote ‘mainstream values’
- Systems should direct users to approved material on subjects like Xi Jinping Thought, or which showcase the country’s economic and social development, Cyberspace Administration of China says
- They should not recommend content that undermines national security, or is sexually suggestive, promotes extravagant lifestyles, or hypes celebrity gossip and scandals
Chinese social media platforms, websites and apps that use algorithms powered by artificial intelligence to recommend or suggest content to their users must ensure the technology steers people towards material that adheres to “mainstream values”, the country’s top internet regulator said.
The Cyberspace Administration of China released its draft regulations on “managing the cyberspace ecosystem” on Tuesday in another sign of how the ruling Communist Party is increasingly turning to technology to cement its ideological control over society.
The proposals will be open for public consultation for a month and are expected to go into effect later in the year.
Since President Xi Jinping rose to power seven years ago, Beijing has significantly stepped up its efforts to “clean up” the internet. Authorities now regularly crack down on “illegal” and “harmful” content on websites, mobile phone apps, forums, instant messaging and live-streaming platforms, shutting down sites and accounts, and punishing operators with hefty fines and service suspensions.
But the latest rules point to a new strategy to use AI-driven algorithms to expand the reach and depth of the government’s propaganda and ideology.
