China warns ByteDance, Alibaba platforms in latest crackdown on trending topic violations

In separate statements issued on Tuesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) accused both companies of “damaging the online ecosystem”. The regulator said Toutiao displayed “unhealthy content” on its hot search list and the top of its landing page, while UCWeb featured “sensitive and malicious topics” related to cyberbullying and children’s privacy.

The CAC said it summoned representatives from the companies and imposed disciplinary measures, including official warnings, directives to punish responsible individuals within the firms, and corrective orders with a compliance deadline.

Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Toutiao and UCWeb issued statements on Wednesday, saying they were cooperating with authorities and outlining plans to establish teams aimed at enhancing content moderation while rectifying their shortcomings.