China’s cyberspace authority has initiated a month-long crackdown on online content that promotes anti-marriage and anti-childbearing attitudes, as Beijing intensifies efforts to address the country’s declining birth rate. The Cyberspace Administration of China announced the “Clear and Bright: 2026 Creating a Joyful and Harmonious Spring Festival Online Environment” campaign on February 12th, targeting what authorities consider harmful online content.
The campaign focuses on four major areas of concern. First, it aims to eliminate content that deliberately stirs negative emotions, including promoting views against marriage and childbearing, inciting gender conflicts, and amplifying fears about marriage and fertility anxiety. Authorities will also crack down on ostentatious displays of wealth disguised as Spring Festival shopping comparisons and fan club activities that pit celebrities against each other.
Second, the campaign targets low-quality content generated by artificial intelligence, including illogical or hollow material, classic works altered with vulgar or violent content, and fabricated family conflict narratives designed to attract traffic. Third, authorities will combat disinformation, including false rumors about Spring Festival travel, public safety incidents, fabricated government announcements, and conspiracy theories related to holiday events.
Finally, the initiative addresses illegal activities such as online gambling promotions disguised as sports betting analysis, sexually suggestive content posted under dating or social networking pretenses, and fortune-telling services that promote feudal superstitions under the guise of fate-changing services.
The cyberspace authority emphasized that platforms must establish dedicated teams to monitor and remove illegal content during the Spring Festival period. Violating websites, accounts, and multi-channel network agencies will face strict penalties, with typical cases to be publicly disclosed to demonstrate enforcement effectiveness.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), February 13, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202602130044.aspx