Thursday, March 15, 2012

Certain Provisions on the Regulation of Internet Information Service Market Order

Article 1. In order to regulate Internet information service market order, safeguard the provision of Internet information services and users' legal rights and interests, and promote the healthy development of the Internet industry, these provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the provisions of the "Telecommunications Regulations of the People's Republic of China," the "Measures on the Administration of Internet Information Services," and other laws and administrative regulations and provisions.

Article 2. Anyone who engages in Internet information services or activities relating to Internet information services in the People's Republic of China shall obey these provisions.

Article 3. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the communication administrations of the provinces, autonomous regions, and metropolitan areas (hereinafter referred to as "Telecommunication Administration Agencies") shall oversee and administer Internet information service activity in accordance with the law.

Article 4. Internet information service providers shall provide services on the principles of equality, voluntariness, fairness, and credibility.

Article 5. Internet information service providers shall not engage in any of the following activities which infringe upon the legal rights and interests of other Internet information service providers:

(i) maliciously interfere with the services of other Internet information service providers on end user terminals, or download, install, operate, or upgrade any software that maliciously interferes with products relating to Internet information services ("products relating to Internet information services" are hereinafter referred to as "Products"). 

(ii) concoct or spread false information that infringes upon the legal rights and interests of other Internet information service providers, or defame the services or Products of other Internet information service providers.

(iii) maliciously be incompatible with the services or Products of Internet information service providers.

(iv) defraud, mislead, or compel users to use or not use the services or Products of other Internet information service providers.

(v) maliciously alter, or defraud, mislead, or compel users to alter the services or Product parameters or other Internet information service providers.

(vi) any other activities that violate the provisions of national laws or infringe upon the legal rights and interests of other Internet information service providers.

Article 6. Critical assessments of the services or Products of Internet information service providers must be objective and impartial.

When disseminating the results of critical assessments publicly or to users, the disseminating party must simultaneously provide information relating to the party providing the assessment, the assessment's methodology, the origin of the data, users' first hand appraisals, the means of assessment, and the assessment's environment.

If the object of the critical assessment objects to the assessment's results, it may, either by itself or through third parties, conduct a further critical assessment of the assessment's results, and the assessing party shall provide it cooperation.

The assessing party may not use assessment results to defraud, mislead, or compel users to take any action with respect to the services or Products of the assessed party.

As used in these Provisions, "critical assessment" refers to providing a platform for user evaluations or other means of carrying out evaluations or surveys regarding the nature of the services or Products of Internet information services.

Article 7. Internet information service providers may not engage in the following activities that infringe upon the legal rights and interests of users:

(i) unreasonably refuse, delay, or terminate the provision of Internet information services or Products.

(ii) unreasonably restrict users' use or non-use of Internet information services or Products designated by them.

(iii) provide Internet information services or Products to users through fraud, deception, compulsion or other such means.

(iv) provide Internet information services or Products in manner that is inconsistent with promotions or commitments made to their users.

(v) unilaterally revise service agreements or business terms, or lower service quality or increase users' responsibilities.

(vi) fail to proactively notify and explain to users when providing services or Products that are incompatible with other Internet information service providers.

(vii) alter the settings of users' web browsers or other software without notifying users and their pro-active choice to agree.

(viii) any other actions that violate the provisions of national laws and infringe upon the legal rights and interests of users.

Article 8. When engaging in operational activities such as downloading, installing, operating, upgrading, or uninstalling software on users' devices, Internet information service providers shall provide clear and complete information regarding the software's functions, and shall obtain users' prior consent.

Internet information service providers may not engage in the following activities:

(i) trick, mislead, or compel users into downloading, installing, operating, upgrading, or uninstalling software.

(ii) fail to provide a means of uninstalling that is equally or more convenient than the means of installation.

(iii) allow any executable code or unnecessary documentation to remain on a user's device following uninstallation without the user's proactively selecting to agree, except in a situation where it has been caused by the influence of other software or human interference.

Article 9. When Internet information service device software is bundled with other software, is should inform users in a clear manner, and the choice of whether or not to install and use it shall be the users', and an independent means of uninstalling and shutting it down shall be provided, and no unreasonable shall apply.

Article 10. Internet information service providers that push onto users' devices advertisements or other information windows that have no relation to the software functions on the device should indicate clearly the function to enable users to close or exit from the window.

Article 11. No Internet information service provider shall, without obtaining user agreement, either collect information relating to the user, or which, individually or in combination with other information, identifies a user (hereinafter, "User Personal Information"), or provide User Personal Information to third parties, except as provided by law and administrative rules and provisions.

Where an Information service provider has received a user's agreement to collect User Personal Information, it shall clearly notify users of the manner of the collection and handling of the User Personal Information, its content, and usage, and may not collect any information that is not necessary for it to provide services, and may not use User Personal Information any purpose beyond those for providing services.

Article 12. Internet information service providers shall take appropriate steps to protect User Personal Information. Where User Personal Information has been or may have been disclosed, it shall immediately adopt remedial measures. Where severe consequences have or may be likely to occur, it shall immediately make a report to the Telecommunications Administration Agency from which it obtained its Internet Information Service License, and cooperate with relevant agencies to investigate and deal with the matter.

Article 13. Internet information service providers shall strengthen their systems' security protections, and in accordance with the law maintain the security of users' uploaded information, and ensure the usage, revision, and deletion users' uploaded information.

Internet information service providers may not engage in the following activities:

(i) unreasonably unilaterally revise or delete users' uploaded information;

(ii) provide users' uploaded information to third parties without the users' agreement, except as provided by laws and administrative regulations rules;

(iii) unilaterally or under false pretenses use a user's name to transfer users' uploaded information, or have users transfer uploaded information through fraud, deception, or force;

(iv) any other actions jeopardize the security of users' uploaded information.

Article 14. Internet information service providers shall announce in a prominent manner an effective means communication, and accept the complaints of users and other Internet information service providers, and shall provide a response within 15 days of receiving a complaint.

Article 15. An Internet information service provider that believes another Internet information service provider is acting in a manner that violates these Provisions, infringes upon its legal rights and interests and does or may have a significant impact upon users' rights and interests, shall immediately report it to the Telecommunications Administration Agency from which the Internet information service provider in question obtained its Internet Information Service License or made its registration.

Telecommunication Administration Agencies shall conduct an assessment of the impact of any activity that reported or discovered that may violate these Provisions. Where an impact may be especially significant, communication agencies of the relevant provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities shall make a report to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Telecommunication Administration Agencies may, before making any decisions pursuant to these Provisions regarding the handling of cases, require Internet information service providers to temporarily suspend the relevant behavior, and Internet information service providers shall comply.

Article 16. Any Internet information service provider that violates article 5, 7, or 13 of these Provisions shall be ordered to undertake rectification and given a warning by the Telecommunication Administration Agency in accordance with its official authority, and may further be fined 10,000 and 30,000 yuan and required to make a public statement. Any provider found to have violated its legal obligations under the provisions of the "Telecommunications Regulations of the People's Republic of China" or the "Measures on the Administration of Internet Information Services" shall be handled in accordance with those provisions.

Article 17. Where a party making an assessment violates the provisions of article 6 of these Provisions, it shall be given a warning by the Telecommunication Administration Agency in accordance with its official authority, and may further be fined 10,000 and 30,000 yuan and required to make a public statement. 

Article 18. Any Internet information service provider that violates the provisions of article 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 14 of these Provisions shall be given a warning by the Telecommunication Administration Agency in accordance with its official authority, and may further be fined 10,000 and 30,000 yuan and required to make a public statement.

Article 19. Any Internet information service provider that violates the provisions of article 15 of these Provisions and fails to temporarily suspend activities as required by a Telecommunications Administration Agency shall be given a warning by the Telecommunication Administration Agency in accordance with its official authority, and make a public statement.

Article 20. Any Internet information service provider that violates any other law or administrative regulation or provision shall be dealt with in accordance with said provision.

Article 21. These Provisions shall become effective on March 15, 2012.

规范互联网信息服务市场秩序若干规定

第一条 为了规范互联网信息服务市场秩序,保护互联网信息服务提供者和用户的合法权益,促进互联网行业的健康发展,根据《中华人民共和国电信条例》、《互联网信息服务管理办法》等法律、行政法规的规定,制定本规定。

第二条 在中华人民共和国境内从事互联网信息服务及与互联网信息服务有关的活动,应当遵守本规定。

第三条 工业和信息化部和各省、自治区、直辖市通信管理局(以下统称“电信管理机构”)依法对互联网信息服务活动实施监督管理。

第四条 互联网信息服务提供者应当遵循平等、自愿、公平、诚信的原则提供服务。

第五条 互联网信息服务提供者不得实施下列侵犯其他互联网信息服务提供者合法权益的行为:

(一)恶意干扰用户终端上其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务,或者恶意干扰与互联网信息服务相关的软件等产品(“与互联网信息服务相关的软件等产品”以下简称“产品”)的下载、安装、运行和升级;

(二)捏造、散布虚假事实损害其他互联网信息服务提供者的合法权益,或者诋毁其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品;

(三)恶意对其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品实施不兼容;

(四)欺骗、误导或者强迫用户使用或者不使用其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品;

(五)恶意修改或者欺骗、误导、强迫用户修改其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品参数;

(六)其他违反国家法律规定,侵犯其他互联网信息服务提供者合法权益的行为。

第六条 对互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品进行评测,应当客观公正。

评测方公开或者向用户提供评测结果的,应当同时提供评测实施者、评测方法、数据来源、用户原始评价、评测手段和评测环境等与评测活动相关的信息。评测结果应当真实准确,与评测活动相关的信息应当完整全面。被评测的服务或者产品与评测方的服务或者产品相同或者功能类似的,评测结果中不得含有评测方的主观评价。

被评测方对评测结果有异议的,可以自行或者委托第三方就评测结果进行再评测,评测方应当予以配合。

评测方不得利用评测结果,欺骗、误导、强迫用户对被评测方的服务或者产品作出处置。

本规定所称评测,是指提供平台供用户评价,或者以其他方式对互联网信息服务或者产品的性能等进行评价和测试。

第七条 互联网信息服务提供者不得实施下列侵犯用户合法权益的行为:

(一)无正当理由拒绝、拖延或者中止向用户提供互联网信息服务或者产品;

(二)无正当理由限定用户使用或者不使用其指定的互联网信息服务或者产品;

(三)以欺骗、误导或者强迫等方式向用户提供互联网信息服务或者产品;

(四)提供的互联网信息服务或者产品与其向用户所作的宣传或者承诺不符;

(五)擅自改变服务协议或者业务规程,降低服务质量或者加重用户责任;

(六)与其他互联网信息服务提供者的服务或者产品不兼容时,未主动向用户提示和说明;

(七)未经提示并由用户主动选择同意,修改用户浏览器配置或者其他设置;

(八)其他违反国家法律规定,侵犯用户合法权益的行为。

第八条 互联网信息服务提供者在用户终端上进行软件下载、安装、运行、升级、卸载等操作的,应当提供明确、完整的软件功能等信息,并事先征得用户同意。

互联网信息服务提供者不得实施下列行为:

(一)欺骗、误导或者强迫用户下载、安装、运行、升级、卸载软件;

(二)未提供与软件安装方式同等或者更便捷的卸载方式;

(三)在未受其他软件影响和人为破坏的情况下,未经用户主动选择同意,软件卸载后有可执行代码或者其他不必要的文件驻留在用户终端。

第九条 互联网信息服务终端软件捆绑其他软件的,应当以显著的方式提示用户,由用户主动选择是否安装或者使用,并提供独立的卸载或者关闭方式,不得附加不合理条件。

第十条 互联网信息服务提供者在用户终端弹出广告或者其他与终端软件功能无关的信息窗口的,应当以显著的方式向用户提供关闭或者退出窗口的功能标识。

第十一条 未经用户同意,互联网信息服务提供者不得收集与用户相关、能够单独或者与其他信息结合识别用户的信息(以下简称“用户个人信息”),不得将用户个人信息提供给他人,但是法律、行政法规另有规定的除外。

互联网信息服务提供者经用户同意收集用户个人信息的,应当明确告知用户收集和处理用户个人信息的方式、内容和用途,不得收集其提供服务所必需以外的信息,不得将用户个人信息用于其提供服务之外的目的。

第十二条 互联网信息服务提供者应当妥善保管用户个人信息;保管的用户个人信息泄露或者可能泄露时,应当立即采取补救措施;造成或者可能造成严重后果的,应当立即向准予其互联网信息服务许可或者备案的电信管理机构报告,并配合相关部门进行的调查处理。

第十三条 互联网信息服务提供者应当加强系统安全防护,依法维护用户上载信息的安全,保障用户对上载信息的使用、修改和删除。

互联网信息服务提供者不得有下列行为:

(一)无正当理由擅自修改或者删除用户上载信息;

(二)未经用户同意,向他人提供用户上载信息,但是法律、行政法规另有规定的除外;

(三)擅自或者假借用户名义转移用户上载信息,或者欺骗、误导、强迫用户转移其上载信息;

(四)其他危害用户上载信息安全的行为。

第十四条 互联网信息服务提供者应当以显著的方式公布有效联系方式,接受用户及其他互联网信息服务提供者的投诉,并自接到投诉之日起十五日内作出答复。

第十五条 互联网信息服务提供者认为其他互联网信息服务提供者实施违反本规定的行为,侵犯其合法权益并对用户权益造成或者可能造成重大影响的,应当立即向准予该其他互联网信息服务提供者互联网信息服务许可或者备案的电信管理机构报告。

电信管理机构应当对报告或者发现的可能违反本规定的行为的影响进行评估;影响特别重大的,相关省、自治区、直辖市通信管理局应当向工业和信息化部报告。电信管理机构在依据本规定作出处理决定前,可以要求互联网信息服务提供者暂停有关行为,互联网信息服务提供者应当执行。

第十六条 互联网信息服务提供者违反本规定第五条、第七条或者第十三条的规定,由电信管理机构依据职权责令改正,处以警告,可以并处一万元以上三万元以下的罚款,向社会公告;其中,《中华人民共和国电信条例》或者《互联网信息服务管理办法》规定法律责任的,依照其规定处理。

第十七条 评测方违反本规定第六条的规定的,由电信管理机构依据职权处以警告,可以并处一万元以上三万元以下的罚款,向社会公告。

第十八条 互联网信息服务提供者违反本规定第八条、第九条、第十条、第十一条、第十二条或者第十四条的规定的,由电信管理机构依据职权处以警告,可以并处一万元以上三万元以下的罚款,向社会公告。

第十九条 互联网信息服务提供者违反本规定第十五条规定,不执行电信管理机构暂停有关行为的要求的,由电信管理机构依据职权处以警告,向社会公告。

第二十条 互联网信息服务提供者违反其他法律、行政法规规定的,依照其规定处理。

第二十一条 本规定自2012年3月15日起施行。

http://www.miit.gov.cn/n11293472/n11293832/n12843926/n13917012/14414975.html

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