100 rules for short-video apps

The short-video industry is currently having a big moment in China, with apps like Kuaishou and Douyin getting millions of users hooked. As the frenzy shows no signs of abating, the China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA), the largest government-affiliated association, which has more than 600 internet companies as its members, has introduced a set of detailed regulations (in Chinese) to put the booming industry under rigid scrutiny.

The rules were announced in a notice published on the association’s website on January 9. According to the post, the regulations were made to “elevate the content quality of short-form videos, curb the spread of false and harmful information, and create a clean cyberspace.”

Under the new regulations, industry players are required to ban a wide range of content on their platforms. The association broke them down into 100 categories, which include:

• Content that disrupts social stability, such as information about disasters and accidents that are not covered by government-approved news outlets
• Content that endorses unhealthy and depraved values, such as extramarital affairs, one-night stands, and demotivational culture
• Content that features violent, bloody, and horror themes
• Content that displays vulgar and pornographic language or visuals
• Content that advocates the independence of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet, or features celebrities whose political views support separation