A total of 18 live streaming apps have been closed for broadcasting illegal content, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced on Sunday. A number of app operators were punished for a lack of a mechanism to censor content. A number of anchors spread illegal content, dressed in military or police uniforms or were scantily dressed and acted flirtatiously, according to CAC.

Some anchors announced their WeChat or QQ accounts during live streaming to induce fans to engage in prostitution. “The online behaviour of the anchors violated relevant Internet information service or live streaming laws and regulations, offended socialist core values and brought negative impact to the healthy growth of the young and teenagers,’’ CAC said. In November, CAC published a regulation banning the use of live streaming to undermine national security, destabilise society, disturb social order, infringe people’s rights and interests and disseminate inappropriate content, including pornography.

According to the regulation, service providers are obliged to censor content before releasing it and have a system that allows them to immediately block improper live streams. CAC said it had previously joined hands with two other departments to blacklist 1,879 anchors, who had severely violated relevant regulations and banned them from registering on live streaming platforms again.

The administration vowed to step up inspection and law enforcement.

NAN