Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) actions to control online public opinion have been escalating. On October 31st, the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration of China issued a notice announcing a two-month special operation nationwide, focusing on local residents’ information. This is the final task in a series of special operations initiated by the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration earlier this year, which has faced criticism from netizens.
According to the official website of the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration, this special operation is called “Clear and Brighten: Rectification of Local Information Content Issues.” It targets platforms such as social media, short video, live streaming, information, e-commerce, search engines, group-buying reviews, dating and matchmaking, map navigation, travel, local life, weather calendars, sports, and health applications that provide local information services based on geographical location.
The issues that the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration is focused on addressing include local housing, education, healthcare, food safety, and other hot topics in people’s livelihoods and local public policies. The authorities also prohibit netizens from sensationalizing local extreme events, hot topics, disasters, and accidents.
In reality, this special operation is part of the CCP’s efforts to control online public opinion and is the tenth task in a series of special operations initiated earlier this year. It marks the last wave of special operations for the year.
Previous tasks by the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration included banning the “smearing and defamation of corporate and entrepreneur images and reputations,” cracking down on “self-media” exploiting domestic and international current events, public policies, social events, and tightening control over mainland website platforms’ news account accounts.
Many netizens have criticized the CCP’s continuous efforts to regulate the internet, expressing their opinions on the X platform (formerly Twitter) and condemning the authorities for suppressing freedom of speech.
In response to the CCP’s actions, Daniel Fang commented, “Isn’t it precisely this party that should be rectified? Since its establishment, this party has never stopped spreading rumors. The greatest rumors, such as ‘30,000 kilograms per mu of land,’ ‘free education and medical care in China,’ are all lies. An organization that spreads rumors all day long dares to talk about regulating the online environment. How shameless must one be to say such things.”
Another netizen, OFFICIAL NEWS, remarked, “The Central Cyberspace Administration of China tries to control the internet, yet they are the source of misinformation.”
Similarly, Lin Bianzhumare marked, “When waging a revolution, it relies on two sticks, the rifle and the pen. The pen is all about spreading rumors for the CCP. This is their traditional craft.”