As of Oct. 25, influencers in China must by law demonstrate that they hold legitimate certifications to post information about specific subjects like finance, medicine, law, or education. These qualifications can come in various forms including university degrees or professional certificates. Creators must also be honest where they get their information from, especially if the content is based on facts, or created by AI.Â
Online platforms like Douyin, will be held responsible for ensuring that creators on their sites are legitimate. This legislation has similar goals to Google’s YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content, as it requires a higher standard of quality and accuracy from the websites that come up in the search.Â
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that this law was put in place to protect members of society from viewing false content online. However, critics worry that the definition of “expertise” will be too specific and is a threat to free speech and creativity in the country.
Alongside this law, CAC has additionally prohibited items such as health supplements and foods as well as medicinal products from being promoted by companies who take advantage of these ads by misinforming the public that they are good health practices in order to make a profit.Â
