China: Cyberspace Administration of China announced enforcement measures to rectify irregularities in internet news and information services

On 10 September 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced enforcement measures aimed at rectifying irregularities in internet news and information services. These measures addressed issues such as the unauthorised use of news organisation identities, the illegal gathering and editing of news without appropriate licences, the misuse of news programme images to mislead audiences, and the dissemination of false or misleading information. Enforcement actions included the closure or suspension of over 1'200 accounts impersonating news organisations, such as “Heilongjiang News Observation Network” and “Internet News Network”. The CAC also closed accounts under the “Liaoxinshe” matrix for operating without an internet news information services licence, removed more than 20 WeChat accounts, including “Tianjin Baixiao Circle” and “Tianjin Lao Liu,” for publishing misleading content using images of national broadcasters, and suspended 46 accounts, including “Jinrongjie” and “Global Finance,” for publishing defamatory and disruptive content targeting businesses. The CAC affirmed its commitment to ongoing rectification efforts, mandating platforms to enhance the management of news and information content and to address accounts with significant irregularities.