China's many attempts to clean up its internet appear not to have prevented the proliferation of revolting material and products that abuse or target children.

Beijing began an aggressive drive to clean up its internet around 2021, when the nation's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), booted apps for violating data laws, ordered purges of content it disapproved of like wealth flaunting, violence and bullying, squashed mean girl online fan clubs, instituted restrictions on time spent on video games, and more.

It's unclear how well those measures worked - or if they instilled the requisite amount of fear to do the right thing among China's online operators - because over the weekend the CAC posted word of a new blitz aimed at making the internet friendlier for kids.

The latest two-month blitz is timed to coincide with summer holidays - when kids will have more free time to get into trouble online. It will target short video and live-streaming platforms, social media and e-commerce platforms, app stores, smart devices for kids and more.

The new blitz, named the "Summer Internet Environment Improvement for Minors," targets violent and bloody content, bullying and profiteering off misery or engagement of minors for content in short video platforms and live broadcasts. Similar bad behavior for clicks will also be "rectified."

E-commerce sites offering suggestive anime-inspired products and services promoted to children will have to find something else to sell. Those using children in a sexually suggestive manner to sell products will face scrutiny - as will questionable services like paying people to cuss or prank on a customer's behalf.

Also on the chopping block are apps that copycat popular branding to trick people into downloading them, those that start off with one purpose and later transform themselves into services like pornography and gambling, and those that spread misinformation.

Furthermore, the CAC has deemed that children's smart devices shouldn't tell fortunes or have other inappropriate functions. Devices sold with minors-only modes must not offer shady ways to switch into adult mode.

It's unclear whether the two-month "special operation" will be ongoing, or if it's a temporary effort.

The CAC has also made no admission that the previous patriotic call - to clean things up for the good of the country and its people - may have proven to be insufficient motivation.

Sigh. An internet regulator's job is never done.

Regardless of the depth of the problem, the CAC's call out of shocking online behaviors in the context of children speaks for itself. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/07/15/cac_summer_cleanup/