Chinese government regulators have introduced a series of sweeping restrictions that apply to live streaming platforms and their users. Under a new regulation, streamers can be blacklisted from live streaming on any platform and both streamers and viewers that want to donate will be required to verify their real names.
The “Notice on Strengthening the Management of Online Show Live and E-commerce Live Broadcasting” regulation requires streaming platforms to register with government regulators by November 30 and to hire government-certified moderators at a minimum ratio of one moderator for every 50 live streams.
Platforms are also required to verify the real names of their streamers and any users that donate to streamers. The regulation advises platforms to use facial recognition, manual review, and other measures to verify the real names of their users.
Additionally, platforms now have to create a rating system for live streaming hosts and channels which includes a quality rating and violation rating level. This rating must be linked to recommendation and promotion on the platform.
Streamers with good ratings can be promoted and recommended but streamers with bad ratings must have their recommendations stopped, have the duration of their live streams limited, and be ordered to rectify their behavior within a specified time frame.
If streamers fail to correct the issues associated with their bad rating after receiving multiple warnings, their channel will be shut down and they will be blacklisted and reported to Chinese government regulators. Once blacklisted, streamers are prohibited from streaming on any platform.
The regulation requires platforms to broadcast streams with “positive values” which it defines as the “pursuit of labor creation, the display of beneficial talents and the taste of healthy life.” Platforms are also required to prevent the spread of “bad habits” which include “showing off wealth,” “worshipping money,” and “vulgar kitsch.”
User donations to streamers are another area that’s being restricted under this regulation. Platforms must ban teenagers from donating and place daily and monthly limits on donations sent by other users.
The way platforms and streamers categorize and promote their streams is also subject to stricter rules. Platforms must introduce a label classification system that categorizes streams based on categories such as “dance,” “fitness,” “food,” “games,” “music,” “life services,” and “tourism.” Streamers that want to change their category must first be reviewed by the platform and be granted authorization before they can make the change.
Some of the other restrictions that are being introduced under these regulations include ecommerce live streaming platforms being prohibited from broadcasting anything that isn’t related to the sale of goods and platforms having to report to government regulators in advance if “social celebrities” or “overseas personnel” plan to start live streaming on their platforms.
