China censors online video streaming

Live video streamers in China will have their sessions monitored starting on Dec. 1, when new rules go into effect to help the Chinese government block content that it deems threatening to national security or social order.

The rules, announced today on the website of the Cyberspace Administration of China, require streaming services to log user content and data for 60 days, according to Fortune. Users and the platforms they use can be punished if any objectionable content is found.

Professional live broadcasts have been popular in China since at least 2008, when Olympics fans flocked to streaming sites to watch the Beijing games, which were banned from Chinese television. Recently, it has exploded in popularity thanks to apps and platforms like Huajiao and Inke, which let anyone find an audience for pretty much anything they want to stream. Inke has more than 50 million users, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Unlike Facebook, which only offers money to its most popular broadcasters, Chinese live video platforms are often profitable even for small-time streamers. Their viewers pay to watch them discuss topics they suggest, and some streamers on Huajiao rake in more than $100 per session and thousands of dollars per month, according to TechCrunch. Perhaps the closest American equivalent is Twitch, whose successful video game streamers can offer paid subscriptions to their channels.

In addition to introducing a monitoring requirement, the new rules also prohibit online news outlets from streaming original reporting. Instead, they must use state-sanctioned reports and sources.

That censorship is the government's primary motive for monitoring live online video is nothing new in China. The stipulation that platforms be held responsible for policing content signals that it largely sanctions the popularity of small-time broadcasters. Still, restricting live streams at all will benefit the largest streaming platforms and content providers, which are willing to acquiesce to the government's censorship requirements.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.