China has required bloggers in the fields of medicine, law, and finance to confirm their education with diplomas.

China has established new requirements for content creators covering topics in medicine, law, education, or finance. Now, all bloggers writing on "sensitive topics" must validate their expertise with official documents—degrees, licenses, or certificates.

New Rules and Platform Control

From now on, Chinese social media platforms—Douyin, Bilibili, Weibo, and others—are required to verify the credentials of authors before publishing content. Additionally, they must ensure that videos include references to credible sources, warnings, or labels if the materials were created using artificial intelligence.

Platforms are also mandated to conduct educational activities among users—explaining the “responsibilities when sharing content” and encouraging critical thinking.

The Goal — Combating Misinformation

This decision was made by the Chinese Cyberspace Administration (CAC) on October 25. Authorities state that the main objective of these innovations is to counter fake news and harmful advice, especially in the fields of health and finance.

The CAC has also banned the advertising of medical products, supplements, and "wellness" products to avoid concealing commercial promotion as educational content.

Criticism and Consequences

The new rules have already sparked lively debate in China. Critics believe that such an initiative could enhance censorship and restrict freedom of speech, as the government may arbitrarily interpret what is considered "sensitive topics." They argue that this creates conditions for blocking independent voices and critical comments.

Meanwhile, supporters of the reform emphasize that it will improve content quality and compel authors to take a more responsible approach to topics requiring professional knowledge.

According to iol.co.za