China says no ‘money worship’ in online shopping, live shows

Hosts sell infant formula during a product livestream at the headquarters of online retailer JD.com in Beijing. Anchors of shows will need to undergo real-name verification – potentially involving facial recognition – and there will be stricter rules on those who send them rewards, which can often be turned into cash. — AP

BEIJING: Online live shows and livestream e-commerce platforms must not promote “bad habits” such as showing off wealth or “money worship” according to rules published Monday by Beijing, in the latest sign of tightening in China’s massive livestream industry.

Live shows have grown increasingly popular in China in recent years, with the livestream shopping sector already worth nearly US$70bil (RM286.04bil) by some estimates.