Starting in mid April, the central government is launching a two-month campaign to crack down on “illegal online promotion.” It is a joint effort by the Chinese Communist Party’s International Communication Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Industry & Commerce. The Xinhua article says “In recent years, some companies and individuals have employed illegal means to carry out online promotion activities. The government has been able to identify a number of those who are conducting illegal online promotion. … They have used improper means against competitors, fabricated facts for the purpose of extorting money, sensationalized online news to profit from the attracted public opinion, and engaged in private transactions for illegal personal interests.” The campaign aims to “regulate online communication and promotion activities.”
Source: Xinhua, April 13, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-04/13/c_121300026.htm