China: Launched campaign on "Optimising the Business Network Environment and Protecting the Legal Rights and Interests of Enterprises"

On 24 April 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued a notice initiating the country-wide campaign "Optimising the Business Network Environment and Protecting the Legal Rights and Interests of Enterprises" under the larger "Qinglang" series of special actions for 2023. This included taking action against opening websites, registering accounts, and publishing false information using the names of other companies, entrepreneurs, and trademarks, as well as deliberately spreading rumors and negative publicity about private enterprises. According to the notice, the campaign aimed to create a positive online environment for businesses by cleaning up and removing false and misleading information, punishing platforms and accounts that violate the rights of legitimate enterprises, and promoting healthy online discourse. The government has called for increased awareness of this issue, the improvement of work processes, and the establishment of specialised teams to effectively deal with illegal information.