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If you were thinking about maintaining a web presence in China, you’re going to have to rethink that. The Chinese government, in a series of joint regulations issued by the ministry of information technology and the publications regulator, recently issued a new set of regulations controlling who can publish things for Chinese Internet users. The regulations prevent any company with any foreign ownership from publishing anything online. Chinese companies with foreign investors are allowed to publish, but must get permission to do so before hand.
The move is another step in tightening government control of the Internet in China. Any content published online must be hosted on Chinese servers, and anyone seeking to publish online must get a permit to do so. The rules go into effect on March 10th.
The regulations actually aren’t all new. Many of them already existed but were issued by various departments around the government. By bringing them all together in a new scheme, the government will have an easier time enforcing those regulations, chiefly in order to prevent unwanted outside influence on Chinese Internet users.
This new policy will certainly affect outside companies with an existing, or intended, web presence in China, including both Apple and Disney. Apple runs a version of their App store there, while Disney recently inked a deal to offer DisneyLife in China. Neither company has stated what their plans are going forward, but they’re no doubt feverishly working on something. The Chinese market is massive after all, and losing access to it in the face of authoritarian government control is going to hurt some businesses pretty badly. For others, the market is now that much harder to reach, and people considering trying to tap into that market might be better off seeking existing Chinese companies to invest with, provided they don’t prevent those companies from publishing either.
What are your thoughts on this new policy?
If you’re interested in learning more about building a presence in international search, check out our past blog!