China warns Kuaishou, Weibo over celebrity gossip amid crackdown on online content

The cyber regulator’s actions follow similar actions targeting lifestyle social media platform RedNote

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Kuaishou is China’s second-most popular short video platform. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:00pm, 22 Sep 2025

The operator of China’s second-most popular short video app, Kuaishou Technology, and microblogging platform Weibo came under scrutiny from the nation’s top internet regulator for allegedly “damaging the online ecosystem” due to lax content control.

Kuaishou and Weibo had failed to manage content effectively, allowing celebrity gossip to infiltrate their trending topics, according to two notices published on the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)’s WeChat public account on Saturday.

The CAC said it had engaged in discussions with the companies and imposed disciplinary measures, including official warnings and corrective orders with a compliance deadline.

The companies, both based in Beijing, issued similar responses later that day, saying that they “sincerely accept the criticisms” and would “take the matter seriously”.

Kuaishou said “we have immediately established a task force for rectification”, while Weibo said it would “deeply reflect on our missteps”.

Kuaishou is advancing its AI business to diversify beyond short videos and live commerce. Photo: Ben Jiang

The CAC’s actions followed a similar disciplinary notice issued to lifestyle social media platform RedNote earlier this month. The agency has targeted trending topics amid a broader crackdown on content deemed undesirable or harmful.

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