China Cracks Down on 1,840 Group Livestream Accounts
China’s top cyberspace regulator has taken strict action against more than 1,840 online entertainment group broadcast accounts found to be violating content regulations, as part of an ongoing nationwide campaign to clean up the livestreaming industry. The Central Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced the penalties on Monday, detailing four categories of violations that included sexually suggestive content, exploitation of minors, coded language to induce tipping, and vulgar battle-based punishments.
The action, reported by Xinhua News Agency, represents the latest escalation in the regulator’s push to standardize the rapidly growing group livestreaming sector, in which multiple performers appear together in a single broadcast.
The ‘Qinglang’ Campaign
The penalties stem from the “Qinglang - Online Entertainment Group Broadcast Chaos Rectification” special campaign, which the CAC launched on July 1 as part of its 2026 series of special campaigns. According to the official notice published on the CAC website, the two-month nationwide initiative targets six categories of violations in entertainment group livestreaming, including account registration irregularities, illegal PK (battle) activities that stimulate excessive tipping, improper gameplay designed to induce viewer donations, vulgar and inappropriate scene content, infringement of minors’ rights, and MCN agency management failures.
As Global Times reported when the campaign was announced, the CAC aims to “concentrate on rectifying issues in entertainment group livestreaming, including account registration, rule design, scene setup, performer conduct standards, and online protection of minors.”
Four Categories of Violations
The August 3 announcement detailed specific cases across four violation categories:
Sexually suggestive content: Accounts including “Shenwei Space,” “Zhouyu,” and “GJ-Jiang Shiyue” were found to feature members wearing revealing clothing, performing sexually suggestive movements, or deliberately using dim lighting to create ambiguous, soft-pornographic atmospheres. These accounts received speech restrictions or temporary livestreaming bans.
Minors participating or impersonation: One account, “Life Wore Down the Egg’s Crispy Corner,” was shut down after minors were found participating in group broadcasts, with its associated MCN agency removed from the platform. Other accounts, including “Zeyu” and “Yuxi 200,” were penalized for imitating minors’ voices and wearing school uniforms to induce tipping, receiving temporary livestreaming bans.
Coded language and offline contact: Accounts such as “Dorx-0230,” “VG Dance-08,” and “Please Call Me Yang Lihang” used coded phrases like “unlock benefits” to stimulate tipping or guided fans toward offline contact. These received speech restrictions or permanent livestreaming bans.
Vulgar PK punishments: Accounts including “ZL-Yuanqi Shaonv,” “Strawberry Sweetheart 101,” and “Bella Lala” manipulated group members during PK battles to perform vulgar, degrading punishments involving personal humiliation, or used repeated chants like “help me complete the set” and “just one more step” to induce tipping through meaningless PK sessions. These received temporary livestreaming bans or traffic restrictions.
Platform and MCN Accountability
A key element of the campaign is its emphasis on holding platforms and MCN (Multi-Channel Network) agencies accountable, not just individual streamers. The CAC has been guiding platforms to strengthen content management and enforce stricter standards for group broadcast operations. As China Daily reported, the regulator is pushing platforms to enhance their content moderation systems and ensure compliance with livestreaming regulations.
The campaign builds on earlier enforcement efforts. Since the start of 2025, the platform Douyin has revoked livestreaming privileges for 43,000 accounts for vulgar penalties and disciplined 28 group livestreaming agencies for improper practices. In November 2025, the CAC penalized group broadcast accounts as part of a previous “Qinglang” campaign targeting tipping chaos in online live streaming.
Implications for the Industry
The scale of the August 3 announcement - more than 1,840 accounts in a single disclosure - signals a significant escalation in China’s regulatory oversight of the online entertainment industry. The campaign’s focus on protecting minors, curbing manipulative tipping tactics, and holding MCN agencies responsible reflects a broader push to professionalize the group livestreaming sector.
According to CCTV News, the CAC’s message to group broadcast accounts is clear: they must strictly comply with laws, regulations, and moral standards, and produce content that reflects social value.
What to Watch For
The two-month campaign is scheduled to run through early September. Industry observers will be watching whether the CAC extends the initiative beyond its initial timeframe, what additional penalties may be applied to platforms that fail to curb violations, and how the campaign’s effectiveness will be measured. The regulator has indicated it will continue to publicly expose violations and strengthen long-term oversight mechanisms for the group livestreaming industry.