Internet Group Information Service Management Provisions

Title: Internet Group Information Service Management Provisions
Promulgating Entities: Cybersecurity Administration
Reference number:
Promulgation Date: 2017-9-7
Expiration date:
Source of text: http://media.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0908/c40606-29522545.html

Article 1: These Provisions are formulated on the basis of the "Cybersecurity Law of the P.R.C."and the“State Council's Notification of Authorization of the State Internet Information Office to be Responsible for Efforts to Manage Internet Content", so as to preserve national security and the public interest, to standardize Internet group information services,and protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations.

Article 2: Those who provide or use Internet group information service within the [mainland territory of the] People's Republic of China shall abide by these Measures.

'Internet Groups' as used in these Provisions refers to network spaces established by internet users through websites, mobile internet applications, and the like, that are used for groups' online exchanges of information. 'Internet group information service providers' as used in these Provisions refers to platforms for providing Internet group information services. 'Internet group information service users' as used in these Provisions refers to group founders, managers, and members.

Article 3: The State Internet Information Office is responsible for Internet group information service supervision, management, and law enforcement efforts nationwide. Local internet information offices are responsible for supervision, management and law enforcement efforts on the informational content of Internet group information services within that administrative region and on the basis of their duties.

Article 4: Internet group information service providers and users shall persist in the correct orientation, carry forward the core socialist values, foster a proactive and health internet culture, and preserve a positive online ecology.

Article 5: Internet group information service providers shall put in place and implement entity responsibility for information content security, shall allot specialized personnel and technology capacity corresponding to their service models, shall establish and complete management systems such as for user registration, information verification, emergency response, and security precautions.

Internet group information service providers shall formulate and disclose management rules and platform agreements, sign service agreements with users, and clarify the rights and obligations of all sides.

Article 6: Internet group information service providers shall carry out real identity information verification for users in accordance with the principle of "real names behind the scenes, but displaying whatever you want"; and must not provide information publication services where users do not provide real identity information.

Internet group information service providers shall employ necessary measures protect users' identification information, and must not disclose, alter, or destroy it, and must not unlawfully sell it or unlawfully provide it to others.

Article 7: Internet group information service providers shall carry out hierarchical and categorized management based on the nature and types of internet groups, scale of membership, and activity level; shall formulate specific management systems and file these with state or provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality internet information offices; and regulate the order of group information transmission.

Internet group information service providers shall establish a user credit level management system, providing services corresponding to credit levels.

Article 8: Internet group information service providers shall, on the basis of the scale of their services and their management capacity, set up reasonable limits on group membership, and the number of groups individuals can establish and join.

Internet group information service providers should set up and display unique group identification numbers, and should set up group information pages for groups that reach a certain size, and note information such as the group name, number of members, and type.

Internet group information service providers should, based on the scale and type of groups, hierarchically verify the group founders' identity, credit level, and other such qualifications for establishing a group; should improve functions for review and verification in founding or joining groups; and label the group identity information of founders, managers, and members.

Article 9: The founders and managers of internet groups shall perform group management responsibilities, to regulate the group's online conduct and publication of information in accordance with laws, regulations, user agreements, and platform agreements, building a civilized and orderly space for online groups.

When internet group members participate in group information exchanges,they shall comply with laws and regulations, interact civilly, and express themselves rationally.

Internet group information service providers should provide necessary functions and privileges to group founders and managers conducting group management.

Article 10: Internet group information service providers and users must not use Internet group information services to publish or transmit informational content prohibited by laws, regulations, and relevant State provisions.

Article 11: Internet group information service providers shall employ management measures for dealing with internet groups that violate laws,regulations, and relevant state provisions, such as corrective warnings, suspension of publication, and closing groups, in accordance with laws and agreements; and shall store relevant records and report to the relevant competent departments.

Internet group information service providers shall employ management measures for dealing with the founders and managers of internet groups that violate laws,regulations, and relevant state provisions, such as lowering credit levels, suspension of publication, and revoking group establishment credentials in accordance with laws and agreements; and shall store relevant records and report to the relevant competent departments.

Internet group information service providers shall establish a black list management system, entering groups, group founders, group managers, and group members to the black list for violations of law and agreements where the circumstances are serious, limiting group service functions, storing relevant records, and reporting to the relevant competent departments.

Article 12: Internet group information service providers and users shall accept the supervision of the public and industry organizations, shall establish and complete channels for complaints and reporting, setup convenient reporting portals and promptly handle complaints and reports. State and local Internet information offices are to conduct supervision and inspections of the situation of accepting reports, on the basis of their duties.

Internet industry organizations are encouraged to lead and promote Internet group information service providers drafting industry agreements, strengthen industry self-discipline, and perform social responsibility.

Article 13: Internet group information service providers shall cooperate with the relevant competent departments lawfully conducting oversight inspections, and provide necessary technological support and assistance.

Internet group information service providers shall follow provisions to store network logs for at least 6 months.

Article 14: Violations of these provisions by Internet group information service providers or users will be handled by the relevant departments in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

Article 15: These Provisions take effect on October 8, 2017.