China lays out what’s allowed on a Marxist ‘civilised’ Internet

The new guidelines potentially provide a framework to further tighten the government’s grip on Internet giants from Tencent Holdings Ltd to ByteDance Ltd and the vast amounts of content and data they generate. — Reuters

China is laying down the law on what behaviour is – and isn’t – allowed on a “civilised”, Marxist Internet, in a sweeping set of guidelines for governing what is already one of the world’s most-heavily policed digital spheres.

The upcoming regulations, many based on previous draft guidelines, span greater protection for minors against online bullying to combating fake news and verifying online accounts. The over-arching idea is to ensure online content abides by “the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological cyberspace sphere”, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing an online summary posted by the State Council.