China fines Tencent, Baidu, Weibo for failing to censor online content

The Cyberspace Administration of China has imposed maximum penalties to Tencent, Baidu and Weibo for failing to properly censor online content. The watchdog said the firms would receive the “maximum penalty” for failing to remove fake news and pornography as well as content that “incites ethic tension” and “threatens social order”, Reuters reports. This is the first time that the Cyberspace Administration has levied the maximum fines against technology companies under a new law introduced in June, as it seeks to strengthen its control on the internet.

“The internet does not operate outside of the law... the CAC will seriously implement the new cybersecurity law and other regulations to increase territorial supervision and enforcement efforts regarding the internet”, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said.

The statement does not mention the exact sum of the penalties, but under the rules cited in the notice, individuals in charge of the platforms and others directly involved face a maximum penalty of CNY 100,000 (approximately USD 15,110) each. The law also stipulates that offending platforms can have their licenses revoked and their services suspended for failing to comply.

The companies will also be required to undertake immediate rectifications to remove illegal content and accounts as well as increase content auditing measures.