Provisions on Admonishment Meetings with Internet News Information Services

This document was translated by ChinaLawTranslate, and is reposted here with kind permission.

Article 1: These Provisions are formulated on the basis of the “Internet Information Management Measures”, the “Internet news information service management measures” and the “State Council Notice Authorizing the state internet information office for internet infromation content management efforts”, so as to further advance governance of the internet in accordance with law; to promote lawful and civilized internet work by Internet news information services; to regulate Internet news information services; to protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations; and to build a clean and bright cyberspace.

Article 2: The state internet information office and local internet information offices establish a system for admonishment meetings with Internet news information services.

“Admonishment meetings” as used in these Provisions, refers ot the state internet information office and local internet information offices meeting with the relevant responible parties at internet news information services when a serious violation of law or regulations has occurred, to conduct administrative acts such as cautionary conversation, indicating problems, and ordering corrections.

Article 3:The responsible persons for local internet information offices shall promptly report incidents and circumstances of conducting admonishment meetings with Internet news information services within their administrative region to the state internet information office.

The state internet information office conducts admonishment meetings with Internet news information service that have major violations of law, either independently or together with the local Internet information office.

Article 4: Where internet news information providers have any of the following circumstances, the state internet information office or local internet information offices may conduct an admonishment meeting with persons such as the principle responsible person or editors:

(1) Failure to promptly handle complaints or reports by citizens, legal persons, and other organizations regarding internet news information services, where the circumstances are serious;

(2) Seeking improper interests through methods such as arranging, publication, reprinting or deleting news information;

(3) Violating provisions related to internet user account name registration, use and management, where the circumstances are serious;

(4) Failure to promptly address unlawful information, where the circumstances are serious;

(5) Failure to promptly put in place oversight and management, where the circumstances are serious;

(6) Where content management and network security systems are not complete or not put in place;

(7) Where there are prominent problems in routine website evaluation;

(8) Where there are prominent problems in annual inspections;

(9) Other situations where violations of relevant law or regulations require an admonishment meeting.

Article 5:The state internet information office and local internet information offices shall give notice of the reason for the meeting, and meeting time, place and participants, in advance of carrying out an admonishment meeting with an internet news service provider.

When the state internet information office and local internet information offices conduct an admonishment meeting, they shall have at least to law enforcement personnel, actively present their credentials, and record the circumstances of the admonishment meeting.

Article 6:The state internet information office and local internet information offices use admonishment meetings, to promptly point out problems that exist in internet news service providers, and submit requests for rectification.

Internet news information services shall promptly implement rectification requests and provide Internet news information in accordance with law.

Article 7:The state internet information office and local internet information offices shall increase oversight and inspection of Internet news information services , and conduct comprehensive appraisal of their rectification, and may retain a third party to conduct the comprehensive appraisal.

Internet news information services that have not made rectifications as requested, or upon comprehensive appraisal have acheived the rectification requirements, they will be given a warning, fine, order to stop operations for internal rectification, have their licences cancelled or be otherwise punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the “Internet Information Service Management Measures” and the “Internet news information service management provisions.”

Article 8:The state internet information office and local internet information offices will publicly release information on admonishment meetings with internet information services.

Admonishment meetings are entered into an internet information service entity’s routine evaluations and annual inspection records.

Article 9:Internet information service entities shall cooperate with the state internet information office and local internet information offices when they are fulfilling their duty to hold admonishment meetings, and must not refuse or obstruct them.

Article 10:The state internet information office is responsible for explaining these regulations, which take effect from June 1, 2015.

互联网新闻信息服务单位约谈工作规定

第一条　为了进一步推进依法治网，促进互联网新闻信息服务单位依法办网、文明办网，规范互联网新闻信息服务，保护公民、法人和其他组织的合法权益，营造清朗网络空间，根据《互联网信息服务管理办法》、《互联网新闻信息服务管理规定》和《国务院关于授权国家互联网信息办公室负责互联网信息内容管理工作的通知》，制定本规定。

第二条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室建立互联网新闻信息服务单位约谈制度。

本规定所称约谈，是指国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室在互联网新闻信息服务单位发生严重违法违规情形时，约见其相关负责人，进行警示谈话、指出问题、责令整改纠正的行政行为。

第三条　地方互联网信息办公室负责对本行政区域内的互联网新闻信息服务单位实施约谈，约谈情况应当及时向国家互联网信息办公室报告。

对存在重大违法情形的互联网新闻信息服务单位，由国家互联网信息办公室单独或联合属地互联网信息办公室实施约谈。

第四条　互联网新闻信息服务单位有下列情形之一的，国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室可对其主要负责人、总编辑等进行约谈：

（一）未及时处理公民、法人和其他组织关于互联网新闻信息服务的投诉、举报情节严重的；

（二）通过采编、发布、转载、删除新闻信息等谋取不正当利益的；

（三）违反互联网用户账号名称注册、使用、管理相关规定情节严重的；

（四）未及时处置违法信息情节严重的；

（五）未及时落实监管措施情节严重的；

（六）内容管理和网络安全制度不健全、不落实的；

（七）网站日常考核中问题突出的；

（八）年检中问题突出的；

（九）其他违反相关法律法规规定需要约谈的情形。

第五条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室对互联网新闻信息服务单位实施约谈，应当提前告知约谈事由，并约定时间、地点和参加人员等。

国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室实施约谈时，应当由两名以上执法人员参加，主动出示证件，并记录约谈情况。

第六条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室通过约谈，及时指出互联网新闻信息服务单位存在的问题，并提出整改要求。

互联网新闻信息服务单位应当及时落实整改要求，依法提供互联网新闻信息服务。

第七条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室应当加强对互联网新闻信息服务单位的监督检查，并对其整改情况进行综合评估，综合评估可以委托第三方开展。

互联网新闻信息服务单位未按要求整改，或经综合评估未达到整改要求的，将依照《互联网信息服务管理办法》、《互联网新闻信息服务管理规定》的有关规定给予警告、罚款、责令停业整顿、吊销许可证等处罚；互联网新闻信息服务单位被多次约谈仍然存在违法行为的，依法从重处罚。

第八条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室可将与互联网新闻信息服务单位的约谈情况向社会公开。

约谈情况记入互联网新闻信息服务单位日常考核和年检档案。

第九条　国家互联网信息办公室、地方互联网信息办公室履行约谈职责时，互联网新闻信息服务单位应当予以配合，不得拒绝、阻挠。

第十条　本规定由国家互联网信息办公室负责解释，自2015年6月1日起实施。