BEIJING: China’s cyberspace regulators shut down over 400 websites and platforms in 2024, punishing 2.39 million online accounts and merchants to combat activities associated with the “online troll farms”.
“Troll farms” are groups hired to post online comments, make purchases and manipulate public opinion to boost popularity or attack competitors. These groups may create fake accounts, spread misinformation, or engage in astroturfing to disguise paid activity as genuine user engagement.
According to a news release from the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday, authorities have further intensified efforts to crack down on these activities since the start of the new year.
The release stated that some online troll farms exploit social events to gain attention, while others create false reputations for merchants or manipulate ratings and reviews for films and celebrities, generating fake traffic data.
Such activities severely harmed the online ecosystem, the statement said. Last year, over 400 websites and platforms were shut down, and 4.82 million pieces of illegal and harmful information were removed, the cyberspace administration said. Authorities imposed punishments on 2.39 million online accounts and merchants, as well as 52,000 online groups. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
