Measures on the Administration of Internet Live-streaming Services

This translation was published first on China Law Translate, and is reposted here with kind permission.

Article 1: These Provisions are formulated on the basis of the “Standing Committee of the National of the National People’s Congress’s Decision on Strengthening Protections for Online Information”, the “State Council’s Notification of Authorization of the State Internet Information Office to be Responsible for Efforts to Management Internet Information Content”, “Measures for the Management of Internet Information Services”, and the “Provisions on the Management of Internet News Information Services” so as to strengthen management of internet live-streaming services, to protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations, safeguard national security and the public interest.

Article 2: Those who provide or use internet live-streaming services within the People’s Republic of China shall abide by these Measures.

“Internet live-streaming” as used in these Measures, refers to Internet-based activities that continuously publish real-time information to the public in forms such video, audio, images or text; “internet live-streaming service providers” as used in these Measures refer to the entities that provide Internet live-streaming platform services; “Internet live-streaming service users [使用者]” as used in these Measures refer to the internet live-streaming publishers and audiences [用户].

Article 3: The provisions of internet live-streaming services shall comply with laws and regulations, uphold the correct orientation, vigorously carry forward the Socialist core values, cultivate a positive and healthy online culture, preserve a positive online ecology, preserve the national and public interests, and build a positive online space for the netizens, especially for the raising of young people.

Article 4: The State Internet Information Office is responsible for management and law enforcement efforts on the informational content of internet live stream services nationwide. Local internet information offices are responsible for supervision, management and law enforcement efforts on the informational content of internet live stream services within that administrative region and on the basis of their duties. The relevant State Council management departments are to conduct appropriate oversight and administration of internet live-streaming services on the basis of their duties.

All levels’ of internet information offices shall establish supervision and management structures that integrate daily supervision and inspection and regular inspections, and guide internet live stream service providers in regulating live-streaming services’ conduct based on laws, regulations, and service agreements.

Article 5: Where Internet live-streaming service providers provide internet news information services, they shall obtain internet news information service credentials in accordance with law, and carry out internet news information services within the scope of their licenses.

Internet live-streaming publishers who carry out internet news information services shall obtain internet news information service credentials in accordance with law and provide services within the scope of their licenses.

Article 6: Those who provide internet live-streaming services through online performances, online audio-visual programs, and so forth, shall additionally obtain relevant credentials as provided for by laws and regulations.

Article 7: Internet live-streaming service providers implement entity responsibility, allot specialized personal corresponding to the service model, and complete systems such as for information review, information security management, duty patrols, emergency response, an technical safeguards. Where internet news information live-streaming services are provided, a chief editor shall be established.

Internet live-streaming service providers shall establish platforms for reviewing live-streaming content, so as to implement level-based and category-based management according to the content category and user scale of Internet live-streaming, to add or broadcast identifying information of the platforms to live-streaming content such as images and texts, video, and audio, and to manage Internet news information live-streaming and the content of its interaction in such a way that they are reviewed before being published.

Article 8: Internet live-streaming service providers shall possess technical capacity corresponding to their services, and shall possess the technical capacity to instantaneously cut off internet live-streams; and technical proposals should comply with relevant national standards.

Article 9: Internet live-streaming service providers and internet live-streaming service users must not use Internet live-streaming services to endanger national security, undermine social stability, disturb social order, infringe on others’ lawful rights and interests, disseminate pornographic or obscene materials, or engage in other activities prohibited by laws and regulations; and must not use internet live-streaming services to produce, duplicate, publish, or disseminate information content prohibited by laws and regulations.

Article 10: When publishing news information, internet live-streaming publishers shall be truthful, accurate, objective, and fair.When publishing news information, internet live-streaming publishers shall be truthful, accurate, objective, and fair. Reprinting of news information shall be complete and accurate, must not distort the content of the news information, and is to clearly indicate the sources in a prominent position, so as to as to ensure that the source of the news information can be located.

Article 11: Internet live-streaming service providers shall strengthen real-time management of interactive elements such as comments and comment barrages [弹幕 – a real-time overlay of comments streaming on top of a/v or other content]; and shall allot corresponding managers.

When live-streaming, internet live-streaming publishers shall provide live-streaming content that complies with the requirements of laws and regulations, and conscientiously maintain the order of live-streaming activities.

When participating in living-streaming interactions, audience member users shall abide by laws and regulations, interact in a civilized manner, and express themselves rationally.

Article 12: Internet live-streaming service providers shall follow the principle of “real names behind the scenes, but any name you want up front” , to conduct verification of internet live-streaming audience member users based on their mobile phone number and other valid identity information, and validate registration of internet live-stream publishers based on their identity documents, business licenses, organization codes, and so forth. Internet live-streaming service providers shall examine and verify the real identity information of Internet live-streaming service publishers, file them for the record according to type with the internet information offices of the provinces, autonomous regions, or directly-governed municipalities where they are located, and provide it to relevant law enforcement departments when requests are made in accordance with law.

Internet live-streaming service providers shall protect the identity information and the privacy of internet live-streaming service users, and must not leak, tamper with, or damage it, and must not sell or illegally provide it to others.

Article 13: Internet live-streaming service providers shall sign service agreements with Internet live-streaming service users, make clear the rights and obligations of each party, and demand that they promise to comply with laws, regulations, and the platforms’ convention.

The provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality internet information office for the area of the internet live-streaming service provider is to guide and determine the necessary content of internet live-streaming service agreements and platform conventions.

Article 14: internet live-streaming service providers shall, based on the circumstances, give warnings, temporary suspensions of publication, account closure and other punitive measures to internet live-streaming service users that violate provisions of laws and service agreements, and promptly eliminate the violating live-streaming content, preserve records, and report it to the competent department.

Article 15: internet live-streaming service providers shall establish a stratified credit management system for internet live-streaming publishers, and provide management and services linked to their credit rating.

Internet live-streaming service providers shall establish a black list management system, prohibiting internet live-streaming service users who are entered into the list from opening new accounts and promptly reporting this to the provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality internet information office for the area.

Provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality internet information offices shall establish a system for circulating black lists, and report to the state internet information office.

Article 16: Internet live-streaming service providers shall record the content and log information for internet live-streaming service users, and preserve it for 60 days.

Internet live-streaming service providers shall cooperate with relevant departments lawfully conducting oversight inspections, and provide necessary documents, materials, and data.

Article 17: Where Internet live-streaming service providers and Internet live-streaming publishers provide Internet news information services without licenses, or exceeding the scope of their licenses, they are to be punished by the State Internet Information Office or by the internet information offices of provinces, autonomous regions, or directly-governed municipalities in accordance with the “Provisions on the Management of Internet News Information Services”.

The State and local internet information offices are to give punishments in accordance with law for other illegal conduct in violation of these Provisions; and where a crime is constituted, pursue criminal responsibility in accordance with law. Where relevant laws and regulations are violated by the the provision of internet live-stream services through internet performances, online a/v programs and so forth, the relevant departments are to give punishments in accordance with law.

Article 18: Encourage and support relevant industry organizations in the drafting of industry conventions, strengthening industry self-discipline, establishing and completing systems for industry credit information appraisal and service evaluation, promoting the development of industry standardization.

Article 19: Internet live-streaming service providers shall conscientiously accept social oversight, complete channels for social complaints and reporting, establish efficient portals for complaints and reports, and promptly handle the public’s complaints and reports.

Article 20: These Measures take effect on December 1, 2016.

互联网直播服务管理规定

第一条为加强对互联网直播服务的管理,保护公民、法人和其他组织的合法权益,维护国家安全和公共利益,根据《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于加强网络信息保护的决定》《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》《互联网信息服务管理办法》和《互联网新闻信息服务管理规定》,制定本规定。

第二条在中华人民共和国境内提供、使用互联网直播服务,应当遵守本规定。

本规定所称互联网直播,是指基于互联网,以视频、音频、图文等形式向公众持续发布实时信息的活动;本规定所称互联网直播服务提供者,是指提供互联网直播平台服务的主体;本规定所称互联网直播服务使用者,包括互联网直播发布者和用户。

第三条提供互联网直播服务,应当遵守法律法规,坚持正确导向,大力弘扬社会主义核心价值观,培育积极健康、向上向善的网络文化,维护良好网络生态,维护国家利益和公共利益,为广大网民特别是青少年成长营造风清气正的网络空间。

第四条国家互联网信息办公室负责全国互联网直播服务信息内容的监督管理执法工作。 地方互联网信息办公室依据职责负责本行政区域内的互联网直播服务信息内容的监督管理执法工作。 国务院相关管理部门依据职责对互联网直播服务实施相应监督管理。

各级互联网信息办公室应当建立日常监督检查和定期检查相结合的监督管理制度,指导督促互联网直播服务提供者依据法律法规和服务协议规范互联网直播服务行为。

第五条互联网直播服务提供者提供互联网新闻信息服务的,应当依法取得互联网新闻信息服务资质,并在许可范围内开展互联网新闻信息服务。

开展互联网新闻信息服务的互联网直播发布者,应当依法取得互联网新闻信息服务资质并在许可范围内提供服务。

第六条通过网络表演、网络视听节目等提供互联网直播服务的,还应当依法取得法律法规规定的相关资质。

第七条互联网直播服务提供者应当落实主体责任,配备与服务规模相适应的专业人员,健全信息审核、信息安全管理、值班巡查、应急处置、技术保障等制度。 提供互联网新闻信息直播服务的,应当设立总编辑。

互联网直播服务提供者应当建立直播内容审核平台,根据互联网直播的内容类别、用户规模等实施分级分类管理,对图文、视频、音频等直播内容加注或播报平台标识信息,对互联网新闻信息直播及其互动内容实施先审后发管理。

第八条互联网直播服务提供者应当具备与其服务相适应的技术条件,应当具备即时阻断互联网直播的技术能力,技术方案应符合国家相关标准。

第九条互联网直播服务提供者以及互联网直播服务使用者不得利用互联网直播服务从事危害国家安全、破坏社会稳定、扰乱社会秩序、侵犯他人合法权益、传播淫秽色情等法律法规禁止的活动,不得利用互联网直播服务制作、复制、发布、传播法律法规禁止的信息内容。

第十条互联网直播发布者发布新闻信息,应当真实准确、客观公正。 转载新闻信息应当完整准确,不得歪曲新闻信息内容,并在显著位置注明来源,保证新闻信息来源可追溯。

第十一条互联网直播服务提供者应当加强对评论、弹幕等直播互动环节的实时管理,配备相应管理人员。

互联网直播发布者在进行直播时,应当提供符合法律法规要求的直播内容,自觉维护直播活动秩序。

用户在参与直播互动时,应当遵守法律法规,文明互动,理性表达。

第十二条互联网直播服务提供者应当按照“后台实名、前台自愿”的原则,对互联网直播用户进行基于移动电话号码等方式的真实身份信息认证,对互联网直播发布者进行基于身份证件、营业执照、组织机构代码证等的认证登记。 互联网直播服务提供者应当对互联网直播发布者的真实身份信息进行审核,向所在地省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室分类备案,并在相关执法部门依法查询时予以提供。

互联网直播服务提供者应当保护互联网直播服务使用者身份信息和隐私,不得泄露、篡改、毁损,不得出售或者非法向他人提供。

第十三条互联网直播服务提供者应当与互联网直播服务使用者签订服务协议,明确双方权利义务,要求其承诺遵守法律法规和平台公约。

互联网直播服务协议和平台公约的必备条款由互联网直播服务提供者所在地省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室指导制定。

第十四条互联网直播服务提供者应当对违反法律法规和服务协议的互联网直播服务使用者,视情采取警示、暂停发布、关闭账号等处置措施,及时消除违法违规直播信息内容,保存记录并向有关主管部门报告。

第十五条互联网直播服务提供者应当建立互联网直播发布者信用等级管理体系,提供与信用等级挂钩的管理和服务。

互联网直播服务提供者应当建立黑名单管理制度,对纳入黑名单的互联网直播服务使用者禁止重新注册账号,并及时向所在地省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室报告。

省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室应当建立黑名单通报制度,并向国家互联网信息办公室报告。

第十六条互联网直播服务提供者应当记录互联网直播服务使用者发布内容和日志信息,保存六十日。

互联网直播服务提供者应当配合有关部门依法进行的监督检查,并提供必要的文件、资料和数据。

第十七条互联网直播服务提供者和互联网直播发布者未经许可或者超出许可范围提供互联网新闻信息服务的,由国家和省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室依据《互联网新闻信息服务管理规定》予以处罚。

对于违反本规定的其他违法行为,由国家和地方互联网信息办公室依据职责,依法予以处罚;构成犯罪的,依法追究刑事责任。 通过网络表演、网络视听节目等提供网络直播服务,违反有关法律法规的,由相关部门依法予以处罚。

第十八条鼓励支持相关行业组织制定行业公约,加强行业自律,建立健全行业信用评价体系和服务评议制度,促进行业规范发展。

第十九条互联网直播服务提供者应当自觉接受社会监督,健全社会投诉举报渠道,设置便捷的投诉举报入口,及时处理公众投诉举报。

第二十条本规定自2016年12月1日起施行。