Friday, August 25, 2017

Translation: Provisions on the Administration of Internet Comments

Provisions on the Administration of Internet Comments

Issued on: August 25, 2017
Issued by: Cyberspace Administration of China
Source: http://www.cac.gov.cn/2017-08/25/c_1121541842.htm

Article 1. In order to standardize Internet comment services, safeguard national security and the public interest, protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and these Provisions are hereby formulated in accordance with the "Cyber Security Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "State Council Notice Regarding Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Assume Responsibility for the Management of Internet Information Content."
 
Article 2. Internet comment services within the territory of the People's Republic of China shall comply with these Provisions.
 
As used in these Provisions, the term "Internet comment service" refers to websites,  applications, interactive communication platforms and other communication platforms that have news public opinion attributes and social mobilization functions and which allow users the means to post, reply, message, or "barrages" by providing users information services such as posting text, symbols, emojis, images, audio, and video.
 
Article 3. The Cyberspace Administration of China shall be responsible for nation-wide supervision and management of law enforcement for Internet comment services. Local bureaus of the Cyberspace Administration of China shall be responsible for the supervision and management  of law enforcement of Internet comment services in their respective administrative areas.

Cyberspace Administration offices at all levels shall establish and improve integrated routine inspection and regular inspection supervision and management systems, and regulate the  behavior of comment services on all types of publishing platforms in accordance with the law.
 
Article 4. Comment service providers that provide Internet news information services new products, new applications, and new features for posting comments shall report to the Cyberspace Administration office at the central, provincial, autonomous region, or municipal level to conduct a security assessment.
 
Article 5. Comment service providers shall strictly carry out their principal responsibilities and perform the following duties according to law:

(i) In accordance with the principle of "backstage real name and on stage as you like it", implement authenticated identity information verification for registered users, and not provide comment services for users who do not provide authentic identity information.
(ii) Establish and improve systems for protecting user information. The collection and use of users' personal information should comply with the principles of legitimacy, appropriateness, and necessity. Policies for collection and use must be published clarifying the purpose, means and scope of collecting and using information, which must be approved by the object of collection.
(iii) Comment services for news information providers shall establish systems to censor posts before they are made public.
 (iv) Anyone providing services allowing users to post a "barrage"of comments, shall at the same time provide on the same platform and page a corresponding static version of the information content.
 (v) establish sound comment review audit management, real-time inspection, emergency response, and other information security management systems, detect and deal with illegal information in a timely manner, and report it to the relevant authorities.
(vi) develop comment information security protection and management technology, innovate comment management methods, research and develop the use of anti-spam information management systems to enhance the ability of spam handling; detect the existence of security vulnerabilities, holes, and hazards in comment services, take remedial measures and report them to the relevant authorities.
(vii) deploy censorship and editorial teams appropriate the service scope and improve the professional qualifications of censorship and editorial employees.
(viii) cooperate with relevant authorities in accordance with the law to carry out supervision and inspection work, and provide necessary technical, material, and data support.
 
Article 6. Comment service providers shall sign a service agreement with registered users, clearly stating the administrative rule of the comment service, fulfilling the obligation to inform them of the relevant laws and regulations of the Internet, and carry out purposeful education of the development of a civilized Internet.
 
The users of comment services shall observe strict self-discipline, commit to abide by laws and regulations, respect public order and proper norms, and shall not publish information with content that is information prohibited by laws, regulations, and the state's relevant rules.
 
Article 7. Comment service providers and their operators may not interfere with public opinion through selective deletion or promotion of comments in order to obtain inappropriate benefits or on the basis of erroneous value orientation.
 
Comment service providers and users are not allowed to use software or hire business organizations and personnel to disseminate information, interfere with the normal order of comments, or mislead public opinion.
 
Article 8. Comment service providers shall take measures to deal with users who post content that prohibited by laws, regulations, and the state's relevant rules, including promptly issue warnings, refuse to publish, delete information, restrict functions, suspend updates, ban accounts, and keep relevant records.
 
Article 9. Comment service providers shall establish a user rating management system, carry out credit evaluations of users' comments, and determine the service scope and function according to their credit rating. Users severely lacking in credibility shall be blacklisted and service shall be denied to blacklisted users, and such users shall be prohibited from using re-registration or other means to utilize the comment service.
 
Cyberspace Administration offices at the central, provincial, autonomous region, and municipal levels shall establish a credit management filing and blacklist management system for comment service providers, and conduct a credit assessment of comment service providers on a regular basis.
 
Article 10. Comment service providers shall establish and improve systems for public complaints and reports of illegal information, set up convenient channels for accepting complaints and reports, and promptly accept and handle public complaints and reports. The national and local cyberspace administration offices shall supervise and inspect the implementation of complaint processing according to their duties.
 
Article 11. If a comment service provider fails to fulfill its information security management responsibilities and there is a relatively large security risk or a security incident occurs, the cyberspace administration office at the central, provincial, autonomous region, or municipal level shall promptly conduct interviews; and the post administration service provider shall take all required measures, carry out rectification, and eliminate hidden dangers.
 
Article 12. Where a comment service provider violates these Provisions, it shall be handled by the relevant agencies in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
 
Article 13 These Provisions shall enter into force as of October 1, 2017.

互联网跟帖评论服务管理规定
 
第一条 为规范互联网跟帖评论服务,维护国家安全和公共利益,保护公民、法人和其他组织的合法权益,根据《中华人民共和国网络安全法》《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 在中华人民共和国境内提供跟帖评论服务,应当遵守本规定。
 
本规定所称跟帖评论服务,是指互联网站、应用程序、互动传播平台以及其他具有新闻舆论属性和社会动员功能的传播平台,以发帖、回复、留言、“弹幕”等方式,为用户提供发表文字、符号、表情、图片、音视频等信息的服务。
 
第三条 国家互联网信息办公室负责全国跟帖评论服务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的跟帖评论服务的监督管理执法工作。
 
各级互联网信息办公室应当建立健全日常检查和定期检查相结合的监督管理制度,依法规范各类传播平台的跟帖评论服务行为。
 
第四条 跟帖评论服务提供者提供互联网新闻信息服务相关的跟帖评论新产品、新应用、新功能的,应当报国家或者省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室进行安全评估。
 
第五条 跟帖评论服务提供者应当严格落实主体责任,依法履行以下义务:

(一)按照“后台实名、前台自愿”原则,对注册用户进行真实身份信息认证,不得向未认证真实身份信息的用户提供跟帖评论服务。
(二)建立健全用户信息保护制度,收集、使用用户个人信息应当遵循合法、正当、必要的原则,公开收集、使用规则,明示收集、使用信息的目的、方式和范围,并经被收集者同意。
(三)对新闻信息提供跟帖评论服务的,应当建立先审后发制度。
(四)提供“弹幕”方式跟帖评论服务的,应当在同一平台和页面同时提供与之对应的静态版信息内容。
(五)建立健全跟帖评论审核管理、实时巡查、应急处置等信息安全管理制度,及时发现和处置违法信息,并向有关主管部门报告。
(六)开发跟帖评论信息安全保护和管理技术,创新跟帖评论管理方式,研发使用反垃圾信息管理系统,提升垃圾信息处置能力;及时发现跟帖评论服务存在的安全缺陷、漏洞等风险,采取补救措施,并向有关主管部门报告。
(七)配备与服务规模相适应的审核编辑队伍,提高审核编辑人员专业素养。
(八)配合有关主管部门依法开展监督检查工作,提供必要的技术、资料和数据支持。
 
第六条 跟帖评论服务提供者应当与注册用户签订服务协议,明确跟帖评论的服务与管理细则,履行互联网相关法律法规告知义务,有针对性地开展文明上网教育。
 
跟帖评论服务使用者应当严格自律,承诺遵守法律法规、尊重公序良俗,不得发布法律法规和国家有关规定禁止的信息内容。
 
第七条 跟帖评论服务提供者及其从业人员不得为谋取不正当利益或基于错误价值取向,采取有选择地删除、推荐跟帖评论等方式干预舆论。
 
跟帖评论服务提供者和用户不得利用软件、雇佣商业机构及人员等方式散布信息,干扰跟帖评论正常秩序,误导公众舆论。
 
第八条 跟帖评论服务提供者对发布违反法律法规和国家有关规定的信息内容的,应当及时采取警示、拒绝发布、删除信息、限制功能、暂停更新直至关闭账号等措施,并保存相关记录。
 
第九条 跟帖评论服务提供者应当建立用户分级管理制度,对用户的跟帖评论行为开展信用评估,根据信用等级确定服务范围及功能,对严重失信的用户应列入黑名单,停止对列入黑名单的用户提供服务,并禁止其通过重新注册等方式使用跟帖评论服务。
 
国家和省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室应当建立跟帖评论服务提供者的信用档案和失信黑名单管理制度,并定期对跟帖评论服务提供者进行信用评估。
 
第十条 跟帖评论服务提供者应当建立健全违法信息公众投诉举报制度,设置便捷投诉举报入口,及时受理和处置公众投诉举报。国家和地方互联网信息办公室依据职责,对举报受理落实情况进行监督检查。
 
第十一条 跟帖评论服务提供者信息安全管理责任落实不到位,存在较大安全风险或者发生安全事件的,国家和省、自治区、直辖市互联网信息办公室应当及时约谈;跟帖管理服务提供者应当按照要求采取措施,进行整改,消除隐患。
 
第十二条 互联网跟帖评论服务提供者违反本规定的,由有关部门依照相关法律法规处理。
 
第十三条 本规定自2017年10月1日起施行。

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