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The country's top internet watchdog said it
would take action against the dissemination of "harmful
information" in celebrity fan groups and close down discussion
channels that spread celebrity scandals or "provoke trouble".
Platforms will no longer be able to publish lists of popular
celebrity individuals and fan groups must be regulated, the
watchdog said.
The internet regulator is also barring variety shows from
charging fans to vote online for their favourite acts and has
spoken out against enticing netizens to buy celebrity
merchandise.
Regulators need to "increase their sense of responsibility,
mission and urgency to maintain online political and ideological
security," the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in
a statement.
China has stringent rules on content ranging from video games to
movies to music, and censors anything it believes violates core
socialist values. The crackdown on celebrity fan culture also
comes amid a wider regulatory campaign against the country's
Internet giants.
CELEBRITY MISBEHAVIOUR
Online celebrity fan clubs have become a widespread phenomenon
in China with local newspaper The Paper projecting the country's
"idol economy" could be worth 140 billion yuan ($21.59 billion)
by 2022.
But they have also been criticised for their influence over
minors and for causing social disorder, as competing fan clubs
have been seen trading verbal abuse online or spending large
amounts of money to vote for their favourite stars on idol
competition programmes.
When Canadian-Chinese pop star Kris Wu was detained by Beijing
police last month on suspicion of sexual assault, his fan groups
come to his defence on social media. Most of these fan accounts,
along with Wu's online accounts, were later shut down.
China's Netflix equivalent, iQiyi, also drew fire earlier this
year after fans of one of its talent shows were filmed wasting
milk in their bid to qualify to vote. On Thursday iQiyi said it
would no longer broadcast idol competition shows.
Chinese authorities have also been targeting domestic
celebrities after a number of controversies.
In January, actor Zheng Shuang became engulfed in a surrogacy
controversy and she was later probed by tax authorities. On
Friday, Shanghai tax authorities said they had decided to fine
her 299 million yuan for tax evasion.
Separately, Chinese video platforms on Friday took down films
starred or directed by Zhao Wei, one of China's biggest stars,
citing "relevant laws and regulations" which prompted widespread
online speculation over the reason. Her name was also removed
from online casting lists.
Chinese celebrities have been subjected to such treatment in the
past when they have fallen foul of the authorities or public
sentiment. Zhao's management agency, Pulin Saisi, told Reuters
it had no knowledge of the situation.
($1 = 6.4849 Chinese yuan)
(Reporting by David Stanway and Brenda Goh; Aditional reporting
by Sophie Yu; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Ana Nicolaci da Costa and
Tomasz Janowski)
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