News|ZensurDouyu founder: arrest confirmedChinese authorities have arrested Douyu founder Chen Shaojie on unspecified charges. Chen disappeared in mid-November and the reasons for his disappearance have so far only been the subject of speculation.Von Newsdesk
FeatureJack Ma: from pariah to symbolJack Ma is back in China. His public appearance is apparently supposed to help instill new confidence amongst foreign investors and the private sector. But while the formerly rebellious Alibaba founder is being rehabilitated, other entrepreneurs are still missing.Von Marcel Grzanna
NewsChina's app market is shrinkingThe number of apps in Chinese app stores has declined by 38.5 percent in the last three years. This is shown by figures from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).Von Fabian Peltsch
NewsBlogger Viya must pay billion-dollar fineChina's "Queen of Livestreaming" must pay a fine in the millions for tax evasion. Blogger Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, was ordered to pay ¥1.3 billion (€180 million), Reuters reported Monday, citing China's tax authorities.Von Amelie Richter
NewsWeibo reprimandedThe Chinese internet platform Weibo has been fined three million yuan (about €420,000) by China's internet regulator. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said Weibo had violated a cybersecurity law on the protection of minors as well as other laws but did not give further details.Von Fabian Peltsch
FeatureFragile Hearts: Cancel Culture in ChinaNowadays, no one is safe from the public outcry over supposedly improper remarks. Not only global corporations, but even pop stars loyal to the state are now quickly pilloried on the Internet for hurting the "feelings of the people." The government utilizes this patriotic outrage to push its foreign policy agenda. Von Fabian Peltsch
FeatureMetaverse in China: a brave new worldThe "metaverse" is also the tech buzzword of the hour in China. With gaming giants like Tencent and high 5G coverage, the People's Republic is ideally equipped for the creation of a virtual parallel world. However, the government remains skeptical and is focusing on decoupling in the metaverse as well.Von Fabian Peltsch
NewsInfluencer blacklistedThe China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) has blacklisted another 85 internet livestreamers. So-called "key opinion leaders" such as Tie Shankao (铁山靠) or Guo Laoshi (郭老师) have exerted a bad influence on society and especially on the youth, the cultural authority writes in an official statement.Von Fabian Peltsch
FeatureInternet companies face even more regulationsChinese tech stocks recovered on Thursday. But investors remain skeptical whether the worst is over. Beijing announced its intention to further regulate the sector with a major campaign over the next six months.Von Redaktion
NewsFines for content exploiting children: China reprimands online platformsChina's Cyberspace Administration CAC has ordered several of the country's largest online platforms to remove inappropriate child-related content. Kuaishou, Tencent's messaging tool QQ, Alibaba's Taobao and Weibo are to "correct" and "clean up" the illegal content, as the authority issued in a statement.Von Amelie Richter
NewsSearch for loopholes soon punishable by lawThe Chinese government is tightening Internet regulations in the country. As of September, attempts to detect security vulnerabilities on the Internet, as well as the dissemination of knowledge about possible security vulnerabilities or even the sale of such knowledge, will be punishable by law.Von Marcel Grzanna
