The Chinese government has shut down more than 100,000 fake news social media accounts as it intensifies efforts to clean up the internet of false news and rumours. According to a report by the news agency Reuters early Thursday (May 18), the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that it wiped 107,000 accounts of counterfeit news units and news anchors and 835,000 pieces of fake news information since April 6.
The cleanup is part of the CAC’s special campaign to clean up online information, focusing on social media accounts which disseminate fake news and impersonate state-controlled media. The CAC encouraged internet users to provide any leads on counterfeit news and anchors.
Using AI to mislead public
The regulator’s review found accounts that disguised themselves as authoritative news media by falsifying news studio scenes and imitating professional news presenters, using artificial intelligence (AI) to create anchors to mislead the public. The fake news identified by the CAC covered issues such as social incidents and international current affairs
The CAC further said it would guide online platforms to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the majority of internet users to obtain authoritative and real news. This major fake news clean-up comes after the regulator vowed to crack down on malicious online comments that damaged the reputation of businesses and entrepreneurs.
Countries around the globe including China are grappling with an onslaught of fake news online coverage, with many implementing laws to punish those involved in such activities.
However, news dissemination on Chinese social media is already heavily controlled with platforms favouring hashtags produced by the state media while censoring those on issues or incidents that the government considers sensitive, Reuters reported.
New AI products in China required to undergo security assessment
On April 11, the CAC announced that new AI products developed in China would be required to undergo a security assessment before being released and must reflect core socialist values.
“Before providing services to the public that use generative AI products, a security assessment shall be applied for through national internet regulatory departments,” the CAC said, adding that AI-generated content must not contain among other things, “terrorist or extremist propaganda”, “ethnic hatred” or “other content that may disrupt economic and social order.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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