China plans to dispatch government officials to conduct in-person inspections of internet giants after it attacked possible abuse of its internet giants.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement Friday that it would target large-scale websites, platforms and products with big influence, but did not call out any particular companies.
We first saw the news.
The regulator wants China's tech firms to submit their algorithms for review to prevent abuse and bad information, according to a translation of its statement. Firms face penalties if officials decide that a company's algorithms are flawed or illegal.
Most tech firms that offer up content recommendations rely on the results to surface.
This latest announcement by China's regulator is intended to bring its biggest tech firms in line with the rules that were rolled out earlier this year. They are intended to curb online addiction, disrupt social disorder, or hurt China's national security.
China is trying to rein in the power of its major tech companies, which include online retail giantJD.com, TikTok parent firm ByteDance, and payment and commerce conglomerateAlibaba. Thanks to the huge popularity of their apps and sites, these firms have turned their respective founders into billionaires.
China is trying to retain control of its internet by targeting how firms collect data, where and how they can list, and applying pressure on their ultrawealthy founder-CEOs.
The internet regulators interviewed reps from major firms over recent job cuts.
China is not the only nation that is concerned about tech company algorithms, a flashpoint for lawmakers concerned about everything from online child sexual abuse to free speech on social media.
The UK introduced its Online Harms Bill, a wide-ranging piece of proposed legislation that targets how algorithms distribute illegal or harmful content. The law mentions the word at least 11 times.
The Social Media NUDGE Act is a bipartisan bill that was introduced in February.
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