China cracks down on fake medical advice with new rules for health influencers
Industry suggests more than 92 per cent of China’s 1.07 billion short-video users consume health-related information online
Chinese authorities have announced new rules targeting the rapid expansion of medical science accounts on social media and other unofficial channels, to stop the spread of false and misleading medical information online.
The rules – “Guidelines for Regulating Medical Science Self-Media Behaviour” – cover independently generated content that is not published by traditional or recognised media organisations but may have been posted to social media or other online outlets.
They emphasise stricter requirements for healthcare practitioners and related personnel when posting medical science information on social media platforms. They also underscore the need for platforms to take greater responsibility to verify account credentials and ensure content authenticity.
The agencies also released detailed “Guidelines for Recognising Medical Advertisements” on August 13.
“A clear line has been drawn between genuine public health education and disguised commercial advertising,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Gu Baozhong, a market inspection specialist at SAMR, as saying.