Major Chinese social media platforms have begun requiring owners of popular accounts with large numbers of followers to use their real names, Yicai reported on Nov. 1.
It should be noted that this is done to maintain the order of information dissemination on the Internet and increase the reliability of leading accounts.
Instant messaging app WeChat, microblogging platform Weibo, video sites Kuaishou and Bilibili, platform Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book, and blogging site Baijiahao announced yesterday that accounts with at least one million followers They will need to verify their real names and in the future the threshold will be reduced to 500 thousand subscribers.
Meanwhile, short video site Douyin has already demanded that owners of popular accounts with at least 500,000 followers reveal their real names.
If popular accounts do not comply with the new rules, this will lead to a limitation of their Internet presence and a reduction in their income, say representatives of social networks.
According to Weibo, mainstream accounts influence public opinion by discussing sensitive issues of concern to society, and the introduction of a real name verification mechanism aims to encourage the owners of these popular accounts to take responsibility for their influence. .
According to representatives of Douyin and Weibo, ordinary users and account holders who mainly share their daily lives on social media, the real name verification mechanism will not be affected. Douyin also said that he will establish a cyberbullying prevention mechanism to promptly address complaints and reports and punish accounts involved in cyberbullying.
Weibo, Douyin and Kuaishou have also set rules on the areas these popular accounts must cover.
Douyin requires accounts with at least 500,000 followers and posting content related to politics, society, finance, education, hygiene, health and judicial administration to allow the platform to display information about their verified real names on their home pages.
Weibo has demanded that popular accounts in areas such as social affairs, military affairs, finance and economics, legislation, healthcare and others show the real names of the owners.
Kuaishou has introduced similar rules for accounts related to domestic and foreign news, current affairs in society, healthcare, the judiciary and other professional fields.
Baidu Baijiahao also urged account holders related to politics, finance, economics, education, hygiene, health and judicial administration to reveal their real names.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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