Chinese authorities have unveiled comprehensive regulations targeting the surge of unverified medical content circulating on social media, marking Beijing’s latest effort to control health information shared by independent creators and influencers across digital platforms.
Four government agencies jointly announced the regulatory framework on August 1, establishing what officials describe as clear boundaries between legitimate public health education and commercial promotions disguised as medical guidance.
The Cyberspace Administration of China, National Health Commission, State Administration for Market Regulation, and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine collaborated on the new measures.
The “Guidelines for Regulating Medical Science Self-Media Behaviour” specifically address content created by independent sources outside traditional medical institutions and recognized media organizations. The rules place stricter obligations on healthcare practitioners who share medical information through social channels, while simultaneously requiring platforms to verify account credentials more rigorously and authenticate posted content.
“A clear line has been drawn between genuine public health education and disguised commercial advertising,” said Gu Baozhong, a market inspection specialist at the State Administration for Market Regulation, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The agencies supplemented the initial guidelines with detailed “Guidelines for Recognising Medical Advertisements” released on August 13, further clarifying what constitutes acceptable health communication versus prohibited promotional activity.
This crackdown on medical misinformation arrives amid a broader government initiative to reshape online discourse across Chinese digital spaces. Since late September, authorities have implemented a two-month campaign aimed at establishing what officials term “a more civilized and rational online environment.”
The wider censorship effort targets content deemed excessively pessimistic or divisive, particularly as China navigates economic challenges including a persistent real estate crisis and youth unemployment reaching 18.9 percent in August. Several prominent social media personalities have already faced penalties under the expanded regulations.
Professor Zhang Xuefeng, who built a substantial following offering academic consulting services, found himself temporarily banned from livestreaming after his popular advice suggested that strategic university application planning mattered more than examination performance alone.
His viral saying, “A good score on the gaokao [China’s national university entrance exam] matters less than a good university application strategy,” apparently crossed newly defined boundaries.
Similarly, influencer Hu Chenfeng had all social media accounts suspended after posting content comparing consumer behaviors between different economic classes, which critics labeled as stoking class resentment.
Social media platforms including Weibo, Kuaishou, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu now bear direct responsibility for removing problematic content or face potential penalties themselves. Government inspectors are conducting thorough reviews of the recommendation algorithms these platforms employ.
The regulations reflect authorities’ concerns about what they perceive as ideological threats emerging from youth disillusionment. Viral trends like “Tang ping” (lying flat) and “Bai lan” (let it rot) have expressed younger generations’ fatigue with intense social pressures.
Li Chunling, a sociologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, previously characterized lying flat as “a rational response by young people to excessive social pressure,” adding that “it is not a rebellion, but a form of psychological self-protection.”
The movement even inspired commercial ventures, including a Shanghai clothing brand called “Monday Sleeping Club” whose products have spread to major cities nationwide.
Officials defend the campaign as necessary to “build a common spiritual home for hundreds of millions of people,” language indicating intent to align digital content with the “Chinese Dream” ideology President Xi Jinping has promoted since taking power in 2013.
Videos showing university graduates working delivery jobs or living in cramped dormitories have been deleted for “spreading negative emotions,” despite documenting genuine economic conditions facing young Chinese workers.