China’s Cyberspace Regulator Shuts Down 7,200+ Group Livestream Rooms in Crackdown

China’s Central Cyberspace Administration (CAC) has shut down more than 7,200 irregular group livestreaming rooms and severely penalized over 2,200 accounts as part of an intensified campaign targeting misconduct in the rapidly growing online entertainment sector, the regulator announced on Monday. The “Qinglang” (Clear and Bright) special action, launched on July 1, targets vulgar content, mechanisms designed to encourage excessive tipping, and infringements on minors’ rights in group broadcasts, according to Xinhua News.

What Are Group Broadcasts?

Group broadcasts are a multi-person collaborative livestreaming format, typically featuring singing and dancing performances by multiple hosts simultaneously. The format exploded in popularity in 2025, becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors in China’s livestreaming industry. Group broadcasts resemble an online variety show, with hosts performing choreographed dances, engaging in PK (player kill) battles, and interacting with viewers who tip through virtual gifts. The 2025 group broadcast market was expected to exceed 15 billion yuan (approximately $2.1 billion), with roughly 8,000 daily sessions industry-wide, as reported by E-commerce Pai.

Campaign Results and Platform Actions

Since the campaign began, the CAC has also guided platforms to clear out a number of problematic group broadcast MCN institutions, published 17 governance announcements, and publicly exposed typical cases to deter further violations, Xinhua reported.

The regulator has instructed major platforms to implement targeted measures. Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has pushed for MCN institution information display on group broadcast account homepages and organized training for group broadcast institutions. Kuaishou has refined its review standards and strengthened technical capabilities to improve recognition accuracy for vulgar gameplay. WeChat Video Channels launched a suspected minor identity verification feature to prevent minors from appearing in disguised forms. Bilibili removed multiplier points, gradient bonuses, and “rank pushing” mechanisms that stimulate tipping, while Xiaohongshu (RedNote) imposed traffic-limiting measures against inappropriate behaviors like intensive shouting and content-free PK battles.

Douyin’s Enforcement Data

Douyin has reported significant enforcement actions under the campaign. In 2026, the platform has penalized more than 30,000 people-times for group broadcast violations, revoked livestream permissions from 4,025 accounts, and expelled 34 guilds. Additionally, 61,000 accounts had their recharge and consumption functions suspended for suspected minor tipping via adult accounts, and 73 criminal suspects were arrested for fraud-related tipping, according to Tencent News.

Regulatory Lineage and Industry Context

This campaign is part of the broader “Qinglang” series of special actions by the CAC, which has been running since 2021. It follows an October 2025 campaign targeting online livestreaming tipping chaos, which was the first to specifically name group broadcasts as a problem area. The current campaign focuses on six categories of problems, including irregular account registration, PK battles that stimulate excessive tipping, inappropriate gameplay inducing tipping, low-quality content, infringement of minors’ rights, and MCN institution management failures, as detailed in the official notice published by the Jiangsu Cyberspace Administration.

The crackdown comes amid growing concerns about industry practices. Some MCN institutions have been accused of using harsh contracts to exploit anchors, recruiting minors for livestreaming, and employing a “pay-per-appearance” model that creates intense pressure on performers. One industry saying quoted by E-commerce Pai captures the pressure: “Keep dancing and you get paid; get swapped out and you don’t.”

Analysis and Implications

The CAC said that after governance, vulgar content in entertainment group broadcasts has significantly declined, violations such as inducing and stimulating tipping have been effectively curbed, and the group broadcast ecosystem has notably improved. The regulator stated it will continue to maintain a high-pressure strict management posture, intensify investigation and punishment of irregular accounts and institutions, and push platforms to improve management mechanisms and technological capabilities.

The campaign reflects China’s broader push to regulate its rapidly growing live-streaming and short-video economy, which has become a significant cultural and economic force. As the Global Times noted, the regulator will also continue to optimize livestreaming features to foster a healthier and more orderly online entertainment environment.

What to Watch For

Industry observers will be watching whether the crackdown leads to lasting structural changes in the group broadcast sector. Key questions include how platforms balance regulation with the format’s commercial viability, whether MCN institutions will reform their labor practices, and how effective the new identity verification measures will be in protecting minors. The CAC has signaled that enforcement will remain intense, suggesting that the group broadcast industry’s era of rapid, largely unregulated growth is coming to an end.