China removes millions of harmful online content in juvenile protection campaign

China has blocked or removed more than 4.3 million pieces of harmful content involving minors as part of a three-month campaign aimed at safeguarding children's rights online, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).

The campaign, launched in mid-July, also resulted in the punishment of over 130,000 illegal internet accounts and the shutdown of more than 2,000 websites and online platforms, the CAC announced Wednesday.

The initiative primarily targets online spaces popular with younger users, including livestreaming platforms, short video apps, and e-commerce sites. During the operation, cyberspace regulators penalized more than 21,000 accounts and shut down over 32,000 livestreams found to be disseminating harmful content to young viewers.

In some cases, livestreamers added violent content to cartoons or manipulated children to appear as "sexy girls" in a bid to attract more views, the CAC said. Additionally, accounts involved in bullying juveniles or disclosing their names, schools, and other personal information faced severe consequences.

The campaign also focused on combatting the exploitation of children online, including cases where individuals used the internet to lure minors into taking nude photos or videos or molested them. These efforts were aimed at protecting the physical and mental well-being of minors.

Over 42,000 products promoting superstition or encouraging conflicts between children, families, and schools were removed from online platforms, while more than 1,400 online stores were closed or fined.

The CAC emphasized that it will continue to hold websites and platforms accountable for protecting minors in cyberspace and encouraged the public to report harmful content.