Criticism of China's Internet rules exposes bias

China's efforts to regulate cyberspace have again been interpreted as restriction of freedom of speech. Such views stem from a misunderstanding based on long-term prejudice.

On Feb 4, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a regulation banning the use of Internet avatars and account handles that have malicious contents. The ban applies to chat rooms, blogs, instant messaging and other Internet services. The regulation says avatars and account handles should not include information that violates the Constitution or China's laws, subverts State power, undermines national security and sovereignty, or is aimed at spreading rumors. The regulation was issued after a series of cases came to light in which fake accounts under the names of celebrities and foreign leaders, as well as official media outlets and institutions were used to spread false information.

But despite its good intentions, the regulation has been described by some foreign media as further proof of China tightening control over Internet use and censoring news and views challenging the communist political system. This is not the first time that a move to regulate the use of the Internet has been misinterpreted by the foreign media. Last month too some foreign media outlets had a field day when the CAC shut down 133 accounts on popular instant messaging app WeChat for posting illegal contents that "disobeyed socialist core values" and "severely disturbed the online order".