China wants to control how its famous livestreamers act, speak, and even dress

It was ridiculous for Zeng to be referred to by her last name. She has done nothing morally corrupt in today's standards. She thinks she's doing something that can help everyone. The account was restored in June.

In China, live streaming has become one of the nation's favorite ways to spend time, with over half a billion watchers every year. The top livestreamers make a lot of money from their fans. They have the same influence as A-lister celebrities.

Lawyer Longfei is wrestling with the Chinese government's increasing willingness to weigh in on what's acceptable. The Code of Conduct for Online Streamers was released by China's top cultural authorities in June. In recent years, livestreamers have managed to operate under the radar, but now face the full force of China's censorship machine.

There are 31 categories of content that shouldn't be in online videos, ranging from violence and self- harm to more ambiguous concepts. Rules on streamers' looks and the use of deep fakes are included in the guidelines.

The PhD candidate studying Chinese streamers at the University of Illinois thinks it's an attempt to cover the entire country. Previous regulations that were patchy or provincial were replaced by this new one. Gu says that this one addresses online streamers as a stand alone occupation.

The Chinese government is trying to tame an industry that has become too powerful. Some of China's top livestreamers fell from their thrones after being fined for tax evasion or triggering censorship. The Code of Conduct is paving the way for further interventions by putting restrictions down on paper.

‘The End of the Universe’

There is a saying in China that says the end of the universe is selling stuff on the internet. It makes fun of the fact that lawyers, teachers, celebrities and other professionals are now making money by presenting products on tv shows.

"Americans and Europeans don't think of livestreaming as a mainstream channel for shopping, and probably not even as a mainstream channel for entertainment, but in China it has reached extreme popularity."