CHINA — The Chinese internet regulator has ordered two popular news apps to temporarily suspend parts of their channels for “spreading pornographic and lewd information” and providing news services without the necessary licenses.

Shine.cn reported that both Toutiao, a Beijing-based news and information content platform powered by AI tech designed to tailor users’ feeds, and Phoenix News, one of six Phoenix Television channels that serves Chinese viewers in Europe, were blocked. According to Shine, the Beijing municipal cyberspace information office stated these news apps “continuously carried pornographic content, seriously misled the public and caused a very negative impact on the online media environment.”

The two platforms were also found to have produced or reposted news content without necessary licenses, thereby allegedly “disturbing online order,” the cyberspace information office stated. They urged the two apps to rectify their violations.

In October of 2017, CNBC reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested the nation state supported an open economy and would further liberalize its markets to foreign investors. Digital communication inside China, however, was in the process of becoming a lot less free.

In addition to previously blocking access to Google and Facebook in Beijing, authorities cracked down on China’s top video-streaming websites, re-upped blocking virtual private networks (VPNs) and removed foreign TV shows from online platforms. They also required users to register to online forums with their real names and introduced laws that hold chat group admins accountable for what is said in their spaces. New rules also required online news websites to be overseen by government-approved editorial staff and for workers to have reporting credentials from the central government.

According to experts, these new regulations were some of the strictest ever and are likely here to stay. They may even expand and intensify. As such, six Toutiao channels were ordered to suspend updates for 24 hours until Saturday evening 30 December 2017, while two Phoenix News channels were not allowed to update for 12 hours.

Sadly, though there are certainly markets and users looking to connect in China, in spite of lip service to the contrary, the government’s stance on porn — as well as “porn” — seems to be unchanging.

Image via Gary Tamin.