Running from last week to February next year, the initiative will target problems such as repetitive content, unauthorized ranking manipulations, profit-driven practices, and discriminatory pricing based on user data, according to a notice from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
The campaign is expected to protect consumer rights, encourage fairness, and promote the sustainable growth of the internet services sector, experts said.
Jointly organized by the CAC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, the initiative urges companies to conduct self-assessments and enhance algorithmic security measures.
Key objectives include reducing "information cocoons" and combating content addiction by encouraging more diverse content. Platforms are prohibited from promoting repetitive material, forcing users to select specific tags, or misusing personal data. Data collection must be limited to what is essential for content delivery.
Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, warned that excessive reliance on personalized content risks creating echo chambers and narrowing user perspectives. Promoting varied content can help expand viewpoints and encourage the free exchange of ideas, he said.
The campaign also explicitly bans price discrimination based on algorithms, ensuring that factors like age or income cannot influence the pricing of identical products.
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