New Internet Comment Service Management Regulations Effective December 15, 2022

Source: Authorized repost from Computer News (ID: CQCPCW).

Author: Cui Cui.

According to the China Internet Information Office, the newly revised "Internet Comment Service Management Regulations" will take effect on December 15, 2022. The regulations introduce a user tiered‑management system and require that serious defaulters be placed on a blacklist.

The regulation defines comment services as the functions provided by websites, applications, and other platforms with public opinion or social mobilization capabilities, allowing users to post text, symbols, emojis, images, audio, and video through posts, replies, messages, or “bullet screens”.

This means netizens can no longer post comments arbitrarily.

Specifically, the new rules stipulate a “backend real‑name, frontend voluntary” principle: registered users must undergo real‑name verification using mobile numbers, ID numbers, or unified social credit codes, and services must not be provided to users lacking verified identities or who impersonate organizations or individuals.

The regulations require the establishment of a personal information protection system, handling personal data in accordance with the principles of legality, legitimacy, necessity, and integrity, disclosing processing rules, purposes, methods, data categories, retention periods, and obtaining user consent unless otherwise required by law.

Providers of news‑related comment services must implement a “pre‑review‑after‑publish” mechanism.

Platforms offering bullet‑screen comment services must simultaneously provide a static version of the content on the same page.

Operators must establish comprehensive security management systems for comment review, real‑time monitoring, emergency response, and complaint handling, promptly detecting and addressing illegal or harmful information and reporting to the internet authority.

Innovation in comment‑management methods and the development of security‑management technologies are encouraged to improve the handling of illegal content, identify security flaws or vulnerabilities, take remedial actions, and report to the authorities.

For users who post content that violates laws or regulations, providers must, according to law and contracts, take measures such as warnings, refusal to publish, deletion, function limitation, account suspension, account closure, or prohibition of re‑registration, and retain relevant records.

If public‑account operators fail to fulfill management duties and allow illegal or harmful comments, they must, depending on the situation, issue warnings, delete content, suspend or permanently close comment functions, limit account capabilities, suspend updates, close accounts, ban re‑registration, keep records, and promptly report to the internet authority.

The new rules also require a user tiered‑management system with credit assessment; based on credit levels, service scope and functions are determined, and users with serious credit violations are blacklisted, denied services, and prohibited from re‑registering.

While the implementation may reduce the spontaneity of online speech, it is expected to curb the spread of rumors, vulgar language, illegal information, and reduce online violence and infringement incidents.

The internet is not a law‑free zone; netizens should speak responsibly and civilly to foster a healthy online environment.

For more details, see the linked source.