Provisions on Admonishment Meetings with Internet News Information Services

Provisions on Admonishment Meetings with Internet News Information Services

Article 1: These Provisions are formulated on the basis of the "Internet Information Management Measures", the "Internet news information service management measures" and the "State Council Notice Authorizing the state internet information office for internet infromation content management efforts", so as to further advance governance of the internet in accordance with law; to promote lawful and civilized internet work by Internet news information services; to regulate Internet news information services; to protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations; and to build a clean and bright cyberspace.

Article 2: The state internet information office and local internet information offices establish a system for admonishment meetings with Internet news information services.

"Admonishment meetings" as used in these Provisions, refers to the state internet information office and local internet information offices meeting with the relevant responsible parties at internet news information services when a serious violation of law or regulations has occurred, to conduct administrative acts such as cautionary conversation, indicating problems, and ordering corrections.

Article 3: The responsible persons for local internet information offices shall promptly report incidents and circumstances of conducting admonishment meetings with Internet news information services within their administrative region to the state internet information office.

The state internet information office conducts admonishment meetings,either independently or together with the local Internet information office, with Internet news information service that have major violations of law.

Article 4: Where internet news information providers have any of the following circumstances, the state internet information office or local internet information offices may conduct an admonishment meeting with persons such as the principle responsible person or editors:

(1) Failure to promptly handle complaints or reports by citizens, legal persons, and other organizations regarding internet news information services, where the circumstances are serious;

(2) Seeking improper interests through methods such as arranging, publication, reprinting or deleting news information;

(3) Violating provisions related to internet user account name registration, use and management, where the circumstances are serious;

(4) Failure to promptly address unlawful information, where the circumstances are serious;

(5) Failure to promptly put in place oversight and management, where the circumstances are serious;

(6) Where content management and network security systems are not complete or not put in place;

(7) Where there are prominent problems in routine website evaluation;

(8) Where there are prominent problems in annual inspections;

(9) Other situations where violations of relevant law or regulations require an admonishment meeting.

Article 5: The state internet information office and local internet information offices shall give notice of the reason for the meeting, and meeting time, place and participants, in advance of carrying out an admonishment meeting with an internet news service provider.

When the state internet information office and local internet information offices conduct an admonishment meeting, they shall have at least to law enforcement personnel, actively present their credentials, and record the circumstances of the admonishment meeting.

Article 6: The state internet information office and local internet information offices use admonishment meetings, to promptly point out problems that exist in internet news service providers, and submit requests for rectification.

Internet news information services shall promptly implement rectification requests and provide Internet news information in accordance with law.

Article 7: The state internet information office and local internet information offices shall increase oversight and inspection of Internet news information services , and conduct comprehensive appraisal of their rectification, and may retain a third party to conduct the comprehensive appraisal.

Where internet news information services have not made rectifications as requested, or upon comprehensive appraisal have not achieved the rectification requirements, they will be given a warning, fine, order to stop operations for internal rectification, have their licences cancelled or be otherwise punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Internet Information Service Management Measures" and the "Internet news information service management provisions."

Article 8: The state internet information office and local internet information offices will publicly release information on admonishment meetings with internet information services.

Admonishment meetings are entered into an internet information service entity's routine evaluations and annual inspection records.

Article 9: Internet information service entities shall cooperate with the state internet information office and local internet information offices when they are fulfilling their duty to hold admonishment meetings, and must not refuse or obstruct them.

Article 10: The state internet information office is responsible for explaining these regulations, which take effect from June 1, 2015.