New rules affect online fan groups that cause ‘chaos’ and promote wrong values.
Chinese authorities have stepped up the ongoing crackdown on online communities dedicated to celebrities and promoting “extravagant pleasures” and counter the phenomenon of fandoms, where millions of devotees follow their favorite celebrities.
China’s cyberspace administration, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has presented new regulations to limit the abnormal aesthetics that deteriorate the traditional values of Chinese society.
Under the new rules, fan groups will have to be managed directly by professional celebrity agents. In addition, the number of times celebrities and their associated works or products may appear on web pages will be limited.
Furthermore, online platforms will no longer be able to promote content relating to events where celebrities have indulged in “unethical” or illegal behavior, also preventing their redemption in the event of returns after public scandals.
Control over the country’s cultural industry has tightened considerably under the leadership of Xi Jinping. The campaign has already targeted several prominent stars such as former Prada ambassador Zheng Shuang, and has also forced South Korean entertainment companies to move away from China, previously their main growth market.
Chinese regulators have also tasked local branches to create a watchlist that documents celebrities promoting undesirable values, echoing Beijing’s calls to crack down on what it sees as effeminate portraits of men in popular culture.
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