BEIJING (AP) – China is tightening rules for online news as its censors try to control a flood of information spread through instant-messaging apps, blogs and other media sources that are proliferating in the country.
The rules announced Tuesday and set to go into effect June 1 will require online publishers to obtain government licenses and block foreign or private companies from investing in online news services or directly disseminating news.
Chinese news outlets will have to undergo a security review before working with foreign companies, according to a statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the agency charged with enforcing the rules.
The move follows a crackdown on dissent under Communist Party leader Xi Jinping that has led to tighter controls on what can be published online.
With the latest rules, the government will require internet companies to censor what their customers see or risk losing their right to operate, Chinese media expert Qiao Mu said.